Silver Shadows
by IceCrystal7
Summary: Kakashi was supposed to die when the Jonin fell victim to a viscious ambush by an unknown deadly group of rogue ninja. That was until he was saved by Syna. But who is this woman Syna? And is she the only one who can stop the rogue ninja? KakashiXOC
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys! Well since I'm in such a Kakashi fan-girl mode (come on, who can't be?!) I decided to write up a story on him! Um.... I'm hoping it's good! So review!! PLEASE! *grabs kunai* come on review.....

By the way.... the title of the story... yes I just couldn't find a better title so..... :P

Anyways! Haha, I wasn't sure what to put the story in... as there is a little (I say little) bit of blood in the first chapter! Don't kill me..... I have kunai's...... and I have Kakashi's book! Don't make me burn it! It will upset Kakashi....

Kakashi: So YOU'RE the one who took it! Gimme back my book!

Me: No! *hides book*

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"Kakashi, behind you!" a voice screamed. It was broken, distorted by the howling wind and rain that thundered down. The very same rain that mixed with the dirt on the ground, making it slippery and dangerous.

Kakashi spun, bringing up a badly scratched kunai in front of his face, just in time to block another kunai as it plunged down towards him. The attacker waster little time to recover from the failure, his other hand thrusting around. In it's firm grip was a sword, but no ordinary sword. It was a set of blades, sharp edges jutting out from the one handle, with the ability to rip a man's skin off or open it completley. Kakashi had already seen it happen, to another Jonin who was unprepared and didn't know about the weapon until it was too late.

The night was dark, hung thick with the storm clouds that threw down the rain. Lightning cracked in giant white whips across the thundering clouds, making the battle that was taking place miles below the turmoil in the clouds more deadly and dangerous as the rain obscured everything.

Hair soaked, falling in white clumps down in front of his face, Kakashi gave a quick sweepover of his immediate area. His sharingan eye picked up on everything around him. The shadowed forms of both fellow Leaf Jonin's and the enemy. They were like shadows themselves. They had appeared out of nowhere, coming as suddenly as the rain had begun to fall. It could have even have been one of their jutsu's, the storm had slipped in across the sky quickly.

The ninja they were fighting against were fast, and strong. The group of Leaf Shinobi had been asked to go check out a report of a village that had been ransacked and burned to the ground by a rogue group of ninja. They had taken precautions that the group was large and deadly, but truthfully what they had run into meant they were far from prepared. Somewhere en route they fell into an ambush.

These ninja weren't just any bunch of rogue ninja. They were picking the Jonin off with ease, splitting them off and taking them down. The ground was soaked with blood and rain, trees toppled as bodies were thrown. Nothing could be heard though, only an occasional cry over the hissing of the rain, the roaring howl of the wind or the thunder and lighting's scream from above.

Pouring rain made a curtain around Kakashi, making sight near to impossible. If not for his sharingan, or hand pressed against the ground to feel the oncoming vibrations, then he might have been dead long ago.

Fellow Jonin, Might Guy, Kurenai, Asuma, and Iruka, as well as many others, were all locked in combat with the mysterious rogues. Each one was holding their own, only just though. After they had first stepped out into the open clearing atop the Lorli mountain pass on their way to inspect the village that had been destroyed, it had become clear that these ninja had to have been at least their level.... if not, higher. S class criminals could not have been harder to fight. They were also smart, and the Leaf Shinobi had walked openly and unsuspectingly into an ambush.

The ninja with the sword made of mulitple blades came at him from nowhere, attacking from the flank. Kakashi swerved only just in time, pressing his hands together. Instantly, after performing a hand jutsu faster than most eyes would detect, there was not just one Kakashi, but several, all in a circle around their attacker. He was outnumbered, but from what Kakashi had seen, possibly not outmatched.

The attacker was large, blood splattered across a silvery grey uniform that all the rogues were wearing. On all their faces was a mask, black with a single red line slashed down the very centre and red outlines around the eye slits. None of their faces could be seen.

"Who are you?" Kakashi growled over the rain to the man.

All he did was raise his sword towards Kakashi. Amazingly, he had managed to pinpoint the real Kakashi, out of all his clones, he had found him instantly. Frowning, Kakashi yelled, "Answer me!"

"Your death." The reply was barely human, and it was filled with the sharp icyness of a frozen blade. At that exact instant the man had flung himself forward at Kakashi, sword drawn back ready to slice him open.

Kakashi jumped out the way, letting his clones battle with the ninja. It was obvious his skills, as his blade sliced across the chest of every Kakashi clone that came at him. Each disappeared within a matter of seconds. Kakashi performed another hand jutsu, landing smoothly against the slippery ground, presing one hand down. Blood and mud slickened his hand, as he pushed himself forward at the rogue ninja. Feet pounding against the ground, as lightning began to spark in his right hand. The sound of it was sharp, like a thousand birds chirping, louder than the storm.

Throwing his weight forward, Kakashi launched his chidori attack against the enemy.

What could be described was that one moment the man was there, and the next he wasn't. Kakashi's chidori smashed through a tree, cracking the bark and sending it crashing to the ground.

"Kakashi!" Might Guy called from behind, and Kakashi turned again to see Guy's outline against the rain. His black hair was matted with the rain, familiar green jumpsuit slashed and stained with blood patches where he had been struck. Guy jumped before Kakashi, a kunai deflecting the blade of the sword in the hand of the enemy. The black mask flew past him, as Guy kicked out and sent him flying back.

Turning back, Guy gave Kakashi a wink and a thumbs up. Kakashi's eyes widened though. The man who had attacked him, when Guy intercepted the attack, had disappeared again. But this time Kakashi had seen it. The man hadn't disappeared, he had performed a hand jutsu that Kakashi had never seen before, using Genjitsu to bend his form into one that imitated the fall of the rain. It must have been how they had appeared so suddenly, and why the storm had come up so quickly. These ninja hid in the rain. Almost impossible to pick them out.

The rogue coming for Guy. He hadn't seen him, only a faint outline in the rain that Kakashi could pick up on. The sword came up behind his friend, ready to strike down through his back in what would be a fatal attack.

"Get down Guy!" Kakashi yelled, throwing himself forward. He crashed into Guy, knocking the cocky ninja out of the way.

It left no time for Kakashi himself to get out of the way. At the very last second the enemy ninja appeared. His black mask gazed at him with no emotion, but behind the red slits the eyes were full of an icy hatred and glee. Rain bounced off his face, clear drops that were soon joined by brilliant scarlet red as his sword plunged forward.

The sword sank into Kakashi's front. The blades, a never ending amount of them, pierced through his chest, shoulders and stomach. The agony as they broke through the skin was unbelievable, and the blades didn't stop until they were sticking with the points just out through his back. The pain was excruciating, blood pouring as the ninja ripped his sword back, slick in scarlet.

Kakashi wanted to collapse to his knees. He would have, but he forced himself to stay standing. The surroundings became even hazier, the rain more blurry though it fell only as thickly as it had before. The pain, the numbness. Kakashi heard both Guy, and other Jonin's shouting to him, but there was nothing that they could do, and they seemed so far away.

One kick into the chest by the emotionless masked enemy ninja, and Kakashi was thrown back. It was a well placed kick, and probarbly planned. The ambush had taken place in a clearing atop a mountain, close to the edge of a giant cliff, who's bottom was far below, obscured by the dark abyss of night and distance. The rest of the clearing had been surrounded by trees, blanketing the foot of the mountains growing peak, hidden in the storm clouds.

Kakashi saw it, before he even realised he was falling, and that was why he was looking to the sky above. The edge of the cliff rushed past him, and he reached out for it. It was almost pointless though, the sides were too slippery with rain, and his hands too slick with blood.

The ground wasn't friendly when he struck it. He landed on his back, feeling bones in his legs and in his left arm snap. The pain was nothing though, mixing with the pain that each breath shot through his body. His front was entirely red, the scarlet blood washed into the ground around him, streaming off in rivlets of blood. He closed his sharigan eye, reaching up with one hand and weakly tugging his scratched and bloodied headband back down over his eye. Then his hand fell limply back to his side.

So this was how he was going to die. Broken, bleeding, lying alone at the bottom of a cliff in agony as the rain washed over him.

Everything was growing darker. Darker. All there was was the stormy sky, as thunder crashed and lighting flashed. All of it became hazier with every passing moment, until he could barely see it at all.

Suddenly there was a shadow. The figure of a person leaning over him. He almost smiled, lips turning up a little. Enemy or friend, they were too late for him. His eye closed, and then there was the black abyss.

The dark arms of death.

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A storm had appeared uncommonly fast in the distance over the horizon. Dark clouds brewed, threatning thunder and lightning, and an endless torrent of rain. There was no disappointment, as this is exactly what was provided when the heavens opened their arms up wide and flooded the land.

Syna had been caught out by the rain, halfway home from a trip to the waterfall at the foot of the Lorli Mountains. The rain hadn't touched the waterfall yet, but it soaked her through as she made her way back home. The basket of herbs she had collected had been almost drowned in the basket that she cradled in her arms, golden hair sticking to her back where her dress hung in a ragged bunched clump, sticking tight to her figure. The ground was trecherously slippery, but she had very good footing.

She was travelling by a pathway beside the edge of the mountain. Water streamed off the edge of the cliff, rolling down from the mountain higher up. The thunder crashed loudly, and the lightning cracked against the clouded sky. It was so loud, and Syna was so focused on her footing against the slippery rocks of the ground that she almost missed the thump of a body landing on the ground before her.

Syna gasped loudly, dropping the basket of herbs to the ground where it almost sank into ankle deep mud. Sprinting with precision, she knelt down at the body of the man who was now lying on the ground. She leant over him, taking in everything she could about him with her sharp eyes.

He was a ninja, and by what remained of his uniform he was a Jonin, a very skilled ninja. It wasn't the case here though. Whatever remained of his uniform was stained completley in scarlet blood, his blood, from a vast number of slashes that still leaked much blood from multitudes of wounds across his front. Coupled with the fall, which when Syna looked upwards into the rain, had to have been at least three to four hundred feet up where the next flat part of the cliff top was, the man had taken injuries that were most definatley fatal.

Syna looked into his face. One eye was covered, his left one, while the other was only just open. His silvery white hair was in clumps, some stuck to the side of what could be seen of his face, the rest hidden by a blue mask. He looked at Syna, though she couldn't be sure if he could even see her proparly, his gaze was fading. Beneath the mask, his mouth moved, pulling into a small smile. He was welcoming death, and a moment later his only visible eye closed.

"No," Syna whispered. She placed her hands out across his chest, trying to estimate the severity of the wounds. They were deadly, pierced right through to the other side.

"Hold on," Syna whispered, unsure if he could even hear her.

The flash of white lightning pulsed from the storm above, while from the ground erupted blue and green sparks.

The storm continued, the roar of the wind and the endless stream of rain that pattered down atop Syna, as she pressed her hands down onto the unconscious ninja.

"You aren't dying today."


	2. Chapter 2

Oh, thanks to those who reviewed.... okay this chapter may feel a little boring, but come on you always have to have at least one of those to start introducing things don't you?

I promise the story will get more interesting! Don't worry! Just keep with me! ;D

Kakashi: You still didn't give me back my book! Give it!

Me: Say please.

Kakashi: Please?

Me: *shakes head* nope! my book!

Kakashi: Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

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Sun burned down from the clear blue sky above. There was no sign anymore of the storm or thundering rain in the sky, only deep blue with a few clouds scattered here and there.

Down below, the Leaf Jonin were battered, bruised, cut, and aching from tiredness in the depth of their limbs. They had lost five in the ambush. To lose five Jonin in one battle was so rare. These men they were facing were like silent warriors of death, that had swept in with the storm, and almost as suddenly as they had attacked they had changed their course of action and disappeared into the depth of the trees surrounding the clearing on the mountain. Since then there had been no sign of them.

The Leaf Jonin had managed to quickly take a new course of action when the danger of being attacked again passed. Clearing up the bodies, and getting themselves to a nearby village, which was still half a days travel away back towards Konoha.

The ones who were relatively uninjured and didn't need major treatment, had stayed on the mountain, or travelled straight back after dropping off the others in need of medical attention. There was still one of their number unaacounted for.... but it needed to be confirmed if he could be counted as the sixth death, or if he would be found still alive. Kakashi Hatake. The infamous Copy Ninja. After taking a violent blow from one of the enemies, he had fallen off the edge of the cliff, and still hadn't yet been found.

There were few who searched without rest, water or food. Guy, Kurenai, Asuma and Iruka. They hadn't given up hope at once that Kakashi was still alive, because they knew his stubborn nature was..... well, too stubborn to lay over and die just like that. But as one day passed, then two without a single sign of him, their hope was spreading thin. They had scaled the cliff to the very bottom, but found nothing. The rain had washed away anything that could have been left, there wasn't a single sign of anything.

Worse, there was a waterfall nearby, with a large river that snaked past around the moutain. It wasn't directly below the clearing above on the mountain, but with the heavy rain the banks had burst and water had come flooding down across the ground, and there was still at least three inches of water covering the layer of rocks on the ground. If there was even the slightest chance Kakashi had been there near the water..... by now he could be washed away. It was a grim thought they didn't want to contemplate, but found themselves thinking more and more.

"Guy!" Iruka and Asuma had approached Guy as he towered over the rocks, eyes sharp for anything. "Have you seen anything?"

Guy shook his head, "Nothing." His face was grim, and they understood. They had seen Kakashi jump in the way of the sword strike meant for him, and he felt the burden and responsibilty on making sure his friend was okay, that they found him alive.

Kurenai appraoched. She had a long slash down her arm that had been bandaged up, and like the others a dozen other small cuts and bruises across her face and visible, or hidden, skin. She pushed her black hair behind her ear.

"Any sign?" Asuma asked.

Kurenai shook her head, "None." She turned her head, looking over into the distance where a group of other Jonin had begun to gather. "We have to get back. This incident needs to be reported, and we need to get the other injured back to Konoha where we have the medicine they need." She looked back, seeing Guy's face fall, and her tone was soft and strained, "I'm sorry Guy."

"But Kakashi isin't dead. We need to find him."

Asuma clapped a hand onto his friends shoulder, "We all wish it wasn't so. But it's been two days Guy, if he were still alive, then Kakashi would still be around here, or he would have found some way to find us."

"Besides," Iruka's voice was low and for once the bright sound in it was gone, "After a blow like he took.... it's so unlikely....." He didn't need to finish his sentence.

Guy sighed, looking down once more across the land. They all did, but as their feeble hope promised, there was no movement or anything that could change the fact that Kakashi was gone. "Let's go then. Get the injured back to Konoha quickly."

They nodded, and dragged their eyes away, returning to the group that had been waiting for them. Then, reluctantly and with the greatest heavy hearts, they began to head in the opposite direction, leaving the mountain behind them. And leaving their friend lost, where he would probarbly stay lost forever.

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There was pain when he woke up. Every intake of breath sent the sharp shooting of pain through his body, and Kakashi had to freeze his muscles to stop his body bucking up in the agony. It felt like fire coursing through his veins, burning against his skin. It settled when he stilled, trying to calm his breath.

Kakashi found himself staring upwards, looking at the wooden framing of a ceiling. No longer the dark stormy sky he had been gazing at last. Slowly he tilted his head sideways, through a half open eye taking in wheere he was. It was a room, relatively small in size. The wooden beams of the roof stretched down the walls, and there was a window to his left. White curtains hung limply, as light streamed in through the glass, catching the few specks of dust and making them glitter in the golden rays.

He was alive. The almost unbearable pain never loosened it's grip on is body, but he was still alive. More than that, he was now somewhere unfamiliar. He was lying on a soft surface, a bed, with a thin blanket draped across him. His mask was still around his face, headband still pulled down past his left eye. The mask felt stiffling, and he debated wheter to remove it, but his arms refused to lift as pain shot through him again. His chest felt tight, like something was bound tightly around it: bandages, though blood had seeped out, staining the white with damp red patches. It itched, but more so it ached as his chest rose and fell.

Kakashi slowly sat up, against the protest of his body. He had no idea how much time had passed since he had passed out, he didn't know where he was. What was the worst thing though was the fact that he had left all the others in the middle of the fight, useless when he passed out at the bottom of the cliff. He had to get back and find out what happened to them, and with no guess at how long he had been unconscious there was no time to waste.

"Hey!" It was a young woman's voice that first reached his ears. He turned his head, just as a hand pressed gently, yet firmly against his shoulder where there was no wound, pushing him back down. He looked up, meeting the deep blue eyes of a woman's face, who's lips were pursed together, focused down on him. "Try not to move, your body can't handle it just yet, it's not finished healing."

Kakashi would have argued, but his body was protesting. The burning sensation in his limbs were growing worse every second that he tried to pull himself upright, and he lay back into the soft pillow. Instead, he focused on the woman looking over him.

She was beautiful, stunningly so. Her deep blue eyes were set in the middle of a face with well defined angles, framed by long golden waves. Her eyes were full of concern though, as she said, "Good. I didn't expect you to wake up so soon."

"Where am I?" Kakashi asked. It surprised him to find how weak his voice was, barely a croak. "Who are you?"

The woman smiled, leaning up and picking up something that was on a tray she must have brought in with her, and placed down whe she saw Kakashi trying to move. "My name is Syna. This is my home." She picked up something from the tray; a rag that was soaked in a green liquid. With the rag in hand, dripping just a little, she turned back, "And you sir, are under my care until I think you are fit to be moving."

Kakashi groaned, shifting a little. "How did I get here?"

Her eyes sparked worry as she remembered. "I found you, two nights ago, during the middle of the storm. You fell off a cliff by the Lorli mountains, you were bleeding from a lot of different wounds. I brought you back here, where I could help you. Though you woke up a lot faster than I would have expected." She approached Kakashi, damp cloth in hand, and went to reach to pull up his headband to place it down on his forehead.

Instantly his hand shot up to hold it down, before her's could even reached it. She drew it back, giving half a smile, half a look of confirmation. "I thought as much. I was guessing since you wore the mask that you would rather me not disturb it." She leant back, blowing a loose strand of golden hair from her face. "It would have made this an awful lot easier though....," she said, sighing. Then she leant back forward, "Can you lift your head just a little then?"

Kakashi responded, by leaning his head up a little. Syna slid the wet cloth underneath the back of his neck, making him shiver a litle when he leant back onto the freezing damp material.

"Cold?" she asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Just a little."

She grinned, "Yeah, well, I have a feeling you ninja's are equipped to handle just a little bit of cold." Syna fixed the cloth so it sat straight underneath his neck, "You havn't yet told me your name."

"Kakashi. Kakashi Hatake."

"Well Kakashi, I'm terribly sorry but this will probarbly hurt a bit. Just don't move too much."

Syna gently pressed her hand against his neck, one on either side. Her hands were cool, but not as bad as the cloth sitting beneath his neck. She had said not to move, but in his current state he doubted he would have got very far in way of moving. The pain was starting again.

It was also getting more intense. As it grew more intense, a blue light, mixed with green, began to glow about him, freezing like pinpricks dipped in ice. Syna's hands on his neck hadn't moved a muscle, but they were getting colder too, almost approaching icy. And every moment that passed his body began to ache more. The pain in his muscles, the burning flames as the agony started to grip at him again. He felt his fingers clench into tight balls, and without the gloves that were usually on his hands the fingernails began to cut into the palms, only adding to the pain. It felt like something was flowing inside his veins, a rushing of something that was like both fire and a soothing relief at the same time.

The pain continued for at most only a minute or two, though to Kakashi's pain racked body it felt like much longer. He could feel every single one of his wounds from where the sword ripped through his skin, reliving the pain like the blade was stabbing him again and again. Then like it started, it suddenly let up, the coldness and light disappearing, and his tensed muscles relaxed.

Syna removed her cold hands from his neck, sliding the cloth out from underneath. It was no longer wet or cold, but instead dry, and when she held it in her hand it was plain white, no longer the greenish colour it had been before. "There, now it should be a little while but----"

Kakashi cut her off suddenly by sitting bolt upright, grabbing her arm, "What did you just do?!" he asked. At the same time, the pain bolted through him, and he groaned.

Syna put her arm out, helping him lean back against the wooden bed frame until the pain subsided to just a dull drone. Then she tweaked the edge of her lips up a little on one side, not really a smile but more a look of worry and a self shielded reluctance as she bit the side of her lip. "You have to stay a little more. You just had chakra infused with medicine run through you, your body has to get used to it before it starts to use the herbs to heal up a little more. It can't take too much at once."

Kakashi groaned in response as she put the cloth back onto the tray. "You...healed me? How?"

"I use chakra, of course. I would have figured as a ninja you know about chakra. Unless I am much mistaken, I thought your headband meant you were a Leaf Shinobi, a Jonin from Konoha."

Shaking his head to clear it from a slight ringing in his ears, Kakashi shifted his weight a little, balancing on his arms while he did so, though they felt incredibly weak and ready to collapse. Still, he managed it. "I know about chakra. But, that...." at this point he paused as another spasm of pain washed over for a moment, at which Syna's eyes widened in worry for a moment. He continued after, "The chakra you used.... I havn't seen it before. And by all rights, I should be dead. How am I still alive?"

"I would think it's better to just be happy your alive, instead of wondering why your not," she replied, smoothing some wrinkles of her cream and blue plain dress, then picked up the tray. "Now, since you are awake I'll fetch you something to drink and eat alright?"

She didn't give him much of a choice, because she turned towards the open door and started walking through it.

"Wait!" he said, and she stopped. "How do you know so much about Shinobi and medical chakra?"

Syna remained standing for a moment, her back still to him. Quietly she replied, "I learnt once. But it was a long time ago."

"Where?"

She turned to look over her shoulder, "It doesn't matter now. I havn't returned there for many years." Then she continued walking out the door, then turned so she was out of sight.


	3. Chapter 3

Hello again! It's me! The evil writing ninja on the other end of the computer! ^-^

Lol well the next chapter should make up for the slowness of this one... so :P

Kakashi: Give me back my book!

Me: *still has his book* NO!

Kakashi: What will make you give me my book back?

Me: *thinks* um.... say pretty please monkey's uncle

Kakashi: pretty please monkey's uncle?

Me: Haha Kakashi said monkey.....

Kakashi: -_- ..........

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Syna had returned, giving Kakashi some food, water and let him rest in solitude by himself. He wanted to ask her more questions, and he wanted to ask if she had seen anybody, any of the other Jonin's, but he was too tired. His eyes were closing before he could even finish eating. Syna told him that was part of the medicine she had infused into his system.... it was starting to work, but the energy used made him drowsy.

When he awoke again it was dark outside, the time had simply evaporated on him. The window was closed, but the curtains were wide open still. Stars in the middle of a clear night winked back at Kakashi, as he dragged himself back up into a sitting position again. A jug and cup of fresh water was on the table beside the bed, and he gratefully took it.

It was about then that he realised how much he was moving, and how little the pain was. The burning sensation was now dulled to the sort of ache one got when they walked on a twisted ankle, still sharp but certainly less unbearable. Pressing his hand against his chest, it was then that the sharp shot of pain started up again.

His movement had either alerted Syna, or she was about to come in and check on him anyway. She had things in her hands, which she placed down on the table. "How are you feeling?"

"Better." Kakashi removed the blankets, revealing his completley bandaged chest, swinging his legs off the side of the bed which were still in his rather torn uniform trousers from at least a few days ago.

Syna instantly put her hand against his shoulder, "Hold it, you can't get up yet! Your still very much injured!"

Kakashi smiled at her beneath his mask, "I'm fine, really." Then his tone became a little more serious, "Besides, I need to find the others."

"Others?"

"Other Jonin from my village. We were out on a mission, when we were attacked. I need to find out what happened to them." He fell silent. There was always a chance that he wouldn't find them. The ninja they had been fighting were so strong, anything could have happened, and the entire time he was lying unconscious.

Syna frowned, "Well you are going to do no-one any good if you try running off to find them now. You won't last longer than an hour walking around in your condition."

Kakashi shrugged her hand off his shoulder, "I need to find them." He stood up, taking a step forward. The pain that jolted through him was instant as it was agonizing, and his knees buckled. A pair of arms shot out and caught him before he hit the ground, dropping him back into a sitting position on the edge of the bed.

"I told you."

Kakashi groaned again, pressing his hand against his chest. When he drew it back, it was sticky with fresh seeped blood.

Seeing this, Syna picked up something that was sitting on the side table she had brought with her. Kakashi eyed it warily when he saw a thin dagger in her grip, especially when she brought it closer to him. She almost laughed at his reaction, "Relax tough guy, I'm not going to hurt you." He did ease up a little when she only cut a little bit of the bandage off, peeling it back to reveal a wound on one of his shoulders, seeping out blood. Her bottom lip jutted out a little.

She leaned back towards the little table. There was a small bowl placed next to the now half empty jug of water. Kakashi noticed the same greenish liquid she had used earlier on him. Pressing another fresh cloth inside the liquid, she squeezed it til it was damp and then brought it back, straight away pressing it against the wound.

Kakashi winced despite himself. "No warning?"

With a chuckle, she replied, "You've done a serious amount of damage to yourself you know." Drawing the cloth back, now dabbed with blood specks, she inspected the wound. He couldn't see it from this angle, but her face relaxed a little. "It's still deep, but at least it's no longer a hole right through."

Syna looked to Kakashi's face, "I need to change the bandages and get more of the medicine into your system, okay?"

"Do I have a choice, or are you just going to do it anyway?"

She said, "Well seeing how last time you were unconscious, I was thinking how this time it might be a little more awkward."

"Is there something on me that I should be worried about?" Kakashi asked. Syna laughed, "Nice sense of humour."

She grabbed the dagger again, this time actually cutting through the bandages around his shoulders and chest til they fell to the floor. Kakashi's eye widened when he actually saw the state he was in. Aside from the messy amounts of blood, both dried onto his skin and freshly leaking, there were deep wounds scattered all about, open holes pocketed across his front. Syna dipped her fingers into the bowl of the medicinal liquid, and there was a momentary flash of blue that drew Kakashi's attention. The green liquid shifted from the bowl, amazingly almost coating her hands like some watery green gloves.

"How did you---?" Kakashi winced as she cut him off by pressing her hands against two different wounds.

"Sorry," she said, brow wrinkling in concentration. The watery gloves flowed out against the wounds, sparking more pain but sufficiently less than he had last time. The medicine seeped into the wound, and he could actually feel the skin tightening as it began to work.

Kakashi sat in silence as Syna worked her chakra on him. Then quietly, he told her, "Thank you." She looked up, and he found her blue eyes staring into his. "You never had to do this for me."

"I don't know what sort of person I'd be to have left you out there?" she replied. Smiling, "Besides, it's nice to have company. We're about a day's travel from any town, so I don't really have much people come around. Your the first person I've really seen in.... a rather long time."

He raised an eyebrow, "You live in the middle of nowhere by yourself? Why?"

She shrugged, "I take to solitude better I suppose. It's peaceful out here."

Wincing when she moved her hands to press against more open wounds, with an apology from her, he said, "I hope you don't mind my asking again, but where did you learn to control medicinal chakra?"

Syna tensed a little. "My mother. She was a great medical ninja. She taught me everything she knew before she died. Before---," Syna cut off suddenly, saying no more, and he knew not to press any further.

"So, you were once one too?"

"I was."

"Why are you not in your village?" he asked.

The reluctance to answer was evident in her face, as Syna's eyes cast down. "Well, I didn't really fit in my village. There were a lot that wished I wasn't there, and.... well I just left. It's something I would rather leave i the past though."

Kakashi didn't ask any more. Instead though, Syna asked him about where he came from. She already knew he was a Leaf Shinobi from Konoha, but she wanted to know anything else. He soon found himself telling her all about Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke, his students. She seemed happy to hear about them, engaged in everything he told her. It made him wonder how long she had really spent by herself out here, alone and so far from anywhere. He told her about Naruto's overactive personality, Sakura's level headedness but short temper, and then Sasuke's withdrawn personality. She smiled at the stories he told her, about the one of them trying to get him to remove his mask, with much failed attempt.

While he talked, she finished with each wound, the green liquid around her hands no longer green as the medicinal herbs were used up. Instead all that was left was a tiny amount of clear water, which she let drift back into the bowl before she took up a stack of new bandages.

Kakashi no longer needed to wince, though there was a few jabs against his skin from the still open wounds. Syna bound the bandages tightly, not too tight, but enough so that any if there was any little amounts of bleeding the bandages stopped the flow. "There."

"Thankyou," Kakashi replied. Then before she could do anything to protest, he stood up, "Thankyou for your wonderful hospitality, I'll make sure that you are given everything possible to make up for your kindness." He had picked up his small bag of weapons which he tied around his waist, letting it sit on his hips. It was the only part of his uniform hanging on the end of the bed that he wasn't wearing already, or hadn't likely been thrown out.

"Wait! You can't just go walking out like this!" she protested.

"I have to get back. It's been almost three days, I need to find out what happened to the others."

"Hey! Hold up!" Syna had scrambled to her feet, dropping the loose bandages that had been bunched in her hands. She walked right behind him as he turned a corner, "Your still in relatively bad condition!"

"I can manage." He opened a faded wooden door in the middle of another white walled room that had to be some sort of dining room, except for the fact it was practically empty. Guess she was telling the truth that she got very few visitors. The door opened out into the chill of a darkened night, peaceful and calm with only the barest breathe of wind. Stars winked down at him, as he said over his shoulder, "Again, thankyou for your kindness."

She still wouldn't have any of it, her face set firmly, a few strands of hair falling out of place over her face. "You will freeze at night! The temperature can drop like anything near the mountains, and if your going to try shortcut it back to Konoha, which I think you are, then you can't travel the five days in nothing but a few bandages and barefoot!"

He paused in the frame of the doorway. That was a point, he thought as he looked down at himself. He was rather undressed, just a little. As Kakashi turned back, Syna faced him, arms folded with one eyebrow raised. Sheepishly, Kakashi rubbed the back of his head. "Maybe I was a little hasty."

Sighing, Syna disappeared for a moment, with a "Stay right there." When she reappeared, she tossed something into Kakashi's hands. "Change into these." He looked down at the clothes in his hands. They were plain clothes, nothing too fancy, just ordinary soft materials. What struck him odd was that they were the perfect size and shape for him. He raised his head to ask Syna, but she was already gone. He hadn't even seen he walk away.

He changed into the clothes, which were a perfect fit as he had suspected they would be, strapping his weapons belt bag to his hips again and relocating his lost sandels, relatively dry though still a little damp from the rain the other night. When he returned to the door that he had been about to disappear out of a few minutes ago, Syna was standing there in a new set of clothing. Instead of the cream and blue dress she had been wearing, now she was dressed in trousers and a shirt that were fit for travelling. She had a bag in one hand, sufficiently large. Looking at Kakashi, with smile on her face, "Well if your going to be stubborn about leaving, the least I can do is give you some aid and make sure your okay if you collapse into a ditch."

Kakashi shook his head firmly, "Syna, I really do appreciate everything you've done for me the last few days, whether I was awake to appreciate it or not. But it's dangerous on the road I'm taking, and there's the possibility the ones that attacked the Jonin of my village may sill be around the area. After all you did for me, I would rather you didn't endanger yourself."

"Kakashi," she held up a hand. "Look, in your condition if you do run into anything you would probarbly be down for the count in a matter of a single strike. My handywork hasn't made you completley perfect again." Her eyes flashed a twinkle, "Besides, I can look after myself well enough. Especially when I'm taking Trigger and Midnight."

"Trigger?" he asked, but she waltzed past him through the door into the night. He stayed in the doorway, until she reappeared later, towing behind her two beautiful black stallions. Even in the night their coats shined in a glossy sheen as they tossed their heads up. Both were already saddled, and Syna had tied the bag onto one of their backs.

Eyeing Kakashi, she asked, "Will you co-operate and take the horse, or do I have to force you?"

His head tilted slightly sideways. "Have you always been so stubborn, even towards strangers?"

Syna laughed. "If you ever get to know me better, you'll know I'm most likely worse. Now get on the horse."

Kakashi didn't really see the point. He could run much faster than Syna could, and most likely outrun the horse as well. But deep down he knew she was right. His legs were already starting to feel a little wobbly from standing on them, head swimming a little. She had been right, if he left like this, it would be only a matter of time before his injuries began to weigh down on him, slowing him down and likely collapsing him. If he took the journey on a horse for a little while, then the chances that he would actually make it back to Konoha without being dragged stiff and cold out of a ditch were far better. Still, he would rather she didn't come along, maybe if he just borrowed the horse and then brought it back when he was stronger?

He looked, to see once again though Syna had disappeared from under his nose. Sighing, he brushed his hand against both their silky black necks. They both turned their heads, with their noses nuzzling against him gently. They were well trained, he gave them credit for that. The one he jumped onto didn't even move or snort in disapprovement as he lightly jumped onto his back, as he waited for Syna to return.

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Syna wasn't far. Kneeling down on the hard wooden floor of her room, beside a cupboard. It was relatively empty, with a few clothes strung up on hangers. Some of it had been emptied into the bag she was taking with her, two extra outfits fit for travelling, as well as some extra for Kakashi. It hadn't been hard to find any for him..... she still had all of Ponto's clothes. Her brother had left them here... before.... she shook her head, dragging the thought away.

Shifting the clothes, and pushing away a few stray boxes of things she had gathering inside the closet, she finally managed to find a single box at the back of the cupboard, hidden away behind all the others, in the darkest corner possible. Unlike the others, this one wasn't a crumpled mess of cardboard with things flowing out the sides. It was wooden, and only contained a few things.

Blowing off the dust that had gathered over the last couple of years, Syna opened it, wincing at the sight of what was inside. Some part of her had hoped this box would stay locked away at the back of her cupboard until it rotted away into nothing. But with what Kakashi had said about there being rogues on the loose, she didn't want to take the chance of being unprepared in any sort of confrontation. Though if there was a confrontation, she dreaded to think of the outcome... for anyone.

Still, as she pulled out a small pouch filled with weapons that hadn't seen the sight of action, or even daylight for that matter, in many years, she hoped she still wouldn't have to. It was a part of her that she would rather leave behind.

Her fingers brushed over something. A headband. It's metallic plate shined up at her, the black band flecked with a few specks of dust which fell away when she picked it up in her hand. Already it felt like it was burning the skin of her palm, but she needed it, so she shoved it into her pocket and out of sight.

There wasn't much left in the box after that. A few pictures, people she'd left behind long ago. A few weapons that were more a souvenir than actual things to fight with.

And a mask. Black, with a red line down the centre, and the red outline around the hollows of the eye slits. It stared up into her own eyes, emotionless and empty. She slammed the box lid shut on it, shutting it out behind the door of the cupboard.

Kakashi was already seated upon one of the horses as she closed her front door. She never bothered to lock it. No-one ever came out here, and even if they did, there was nothing valuable in the house and at least they would have a place to stay for the night. Kakashi was comfortably seated on the horse, running his hand gently down the side of his neck and patting it.

"That's Trigger," she told him, as she swung herself up onto Midnight. She took up the reigns, "Ready?"

Kakashi smiled, making a small shadow as his mouth moved underneath the blue mask. Syna didn't really know why he was still wearing it. She didn't try asking though... everybody was entitled to their own secrets. "Ready." And with Syna leading the way, they kicked the horses off and began to canteer off into the darkness of the night.

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Reviews are nice! they help me pick up on things I need to work on! And trust me when I say, the storyline isin't going to revolve around an injured Kakashi all the time haha it will get interesting (I'm hoping)

Gosh what sort of person would I be if I had him trapped and helpless all the time? ^-^ Kakashi is waaay to cool for that! Where's my high five on that? *holds up hand waiting for high five*


	4. Chapter 4

Hehe I'm back!! Woooo! Yeah go me!

Kakashi: She still has my darn book.

Me: No I don't....

Kakashi: *raises eyebrow* Where is it then?

Me: I hid it

Kakashi: Where?

Me: *giggles* In Lady Tsunades Underwear Drawyer!

Kakashi: O.O WHAT?!?!?!?!

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The mountain pass wasn't kind to travellers. After travelling four days in a canteer on horseback, Kakashi and Syna couldn't muster the horses to take the road any faster than a walk any more. The pathway was treacherous, the rain having washed out most of the stable ground and leaving only a muddy rock slide to cross. Every few steps the rocks would move a little, forcing more to tumble back down the steepening hill behind them. The horses managed it well enough with a little bit of coaxing, but going was slow, though even on foot with the decieving washouts of rock and mud it would have been a difficult journey to make. With the horses it made the journey just a little easier to take in one go.

They had made it close to the end of the pass by the time late afternoon had come around on the fifth day. The uneven path had slowed the journey by about a day, though if all was good by about the morning after they should be arriving in Konoha. In about another hour it would be dark, and from the previous nights they both knew how cold it grew in the face of the mountain. Syna led her horse Midnight off the path, Kakashi following behind, into the thick weavings of trees that had begun to surround them about midday. Syna assured him this meant they were almost through the mountain pass.

"The grounds solid here," she said as she pulled her horse off the muddy terraine and into the thickness of the trees, "It should be much easier to set up a camp here than where we face the possibilty of being buried in a midnight mud slide." A quick glance at the sky as the blue began to fade into the hazy pinks and orange of a sunset, a cloud scattered here and there. "And at least it's not raining."

Kakashi could only murmur answers as he eyed the trees unfavourably. The last time there had been an area of thick trees they had been used as the cover for a very viscious ambush. Considering that they were only a few days travel away from where it took place, there was always the possibility that the rogues were still in the area.

A crack of a twig somewhere close by pricked up the horse's ears, and Kakashi glanced back over his shoulder, eyes scowling at the line of green and brown the horses calmly trotted past. "Syna." he said. When she turned her head he tossed the reigns of Trigger to her, which she caught easily as he lightly leapt off the horse's back.

"Where are you going?" she asked, forehead creasing.

"Scouting." Even through the mask he knew she could make out the scowl that could almost pierce a hold in the layer of brush.

"Don't strain yourself Kakashi, I don't want to have to search for you and end up pulling you out of the top branches of a tree somewhere." She kept her face dead ahead, but he saw the corners of her lips pull upwards slightly into a smile she couldn't contain. She enjoyed teasing him when she got the chance. It was light-hearted, and Kakashi didn't mind. It reminded him rather of Naruto, without the loud boistrous attitude to accompany everything. And minus the bright orange jumpsuit..... It was definately a step up.

He didn't need to reply, already slipping into the tree line. It unnerved him how many areas of shadows there were for enemies to slink into and hide in. The dipping sun only exaggerated them, until beneath the canopy it seemed almost like a gloomy prison. Ears sharp for any more sounds other than the whistle of the wind and the trees ruffling their leaves like a bird with it's wings. Other than that though the area was silent, not even the twitch of life from a small animal taking home in the trees. It was an unusual place for there to be a woods such as this, growing in the middle of the mountain pass. Though from what he saw at this rate it would take at least a half day full speed travel to reach the end of the trees. In either direction once you got out of the woods you were faced with the slippery path, or the looming cliff face of the mountains. As Kakashi tilted his head up they were there, towering walls half covered in shadow, while mixed with the dying rays of the sunlight.

Syna had already unburdened the horses and lit a fire by the time he returned. To keep travelling provisions light Syna hadn't brought any pots and pans to cook with, instead only things that could be kept for just over a week of travel. As soon as he appeared he put out his hand to catch a wrapped cloth package she tossed back without looking over her shoulder. His stealth must be off, she had heard him easily from behind. Inside was some still good bread, only slightly stale from days in a travel bag, and some assortment of fruit and a mixture of edible herbs that must have been a specialty of hers.

"So, we need to sleep with one eye open?" she asked as he crouched down in front of the fire.

He gave a chuckle, leaning forward with his hands on his knees as he opened the cloth bundle. "It's quiet."

"Ah." That was her way of announcing that she had understood him to mean it didn't appear that anyone else was in the area. "Good to know." She bit into an apple, before a moment later having a nose butt at her shoulder, slowly reaching for the apple. "Trigger!" she sighed, pushing the apple up where it was accepted and chomped down on, "Go ahead greedy guts." The horse didn't appear to mind as it devoured the apple in a few bites.

Kakashi grinned, taking a bite of the bread. He yanked his mask up before she had turned back, seeing her eyes fall on him.

"What's under that mask? Because you have some in tune senses about when I look away so that you can eat." It was half in humour, half in general curiousity.

He shrugged. "Nothing drastic. Just a face."

She grinned, "Is it really that terrible you have to hide it?"

He didn't answer though, because a drop of water that patted down onto the bare skin of his arm caught his attention. Syna must have felt it too as more drops began to fall from the sky. She frowned, "The sky was clear ten minutes ago, now it's raining?"

Kakashi froze, seeing the sky above. The sudden incoming of huge grey storm clouds, rolling in silently like slinking predators of the sky. He had thought it was just the creeping darkness of the night that drowned out the reds and oranges of the sunset, when really it had been the brewing storm. It had come up so fast. Already the rain was beginning to fall a little heavier and the flash of white lightning in the clouds above.

On his feet even before he looked up, Kakashi urgently growled, "Syna, grab all you can and get on the horse! We have to move, now!"

Her eyes widened, "What?"

"This is what they did last time. This is how they caught us in an ambush. They moved in with the storm..."

Syna looked like he had physically slapped her in the face. Her eyes widened even further, the intense blue a piercing strike of alarm. "They moved in with the storm---can't be---" she trailed off, but there was no time to sit around any longer. There was hardly anything to clear up, as Kakashi slung the bags back onto Trigger and Midnight's back. "Hurry Syna, we have to move!"

She moved quickly, swinging herself up onto Midnight's back as he took up the reigns of Trigger. He wasted no time kicking the horse into a canteer, as Syna followed close behind. The trees were hard to swerve through, but they didn't drop their pace as the rain started to fall heavier. Lightning started to crack in the sky above, followed by the rumble of thunder. The horses took it as fast as they could, though their eyes flashed their fright each time lightning struck.

A loud crack to her left made Syna turn her head to look at the blurry line of dampening trees they were passing. The hollow shadowy sockets between the trunks were dark, and there seemed to be no movement.

Something then struck her horse suddenly from the other side. Her head whipped around, just in time to see Midnight tumble with a loud pain stricken whiney, a huge gash down his side, sticky with blood and rain. The horse bucked, throwing Syna onto the ground with only a moment to roll herself sideways before his soaking black body came crashing down on top of her.

"Syna!" Kakashi had turned his head back to see the horse fall and just miss her. Yanking hard at the reins, he sharply turned the horse, jolting it sideways just in time to miss an almost invisible attack to his own. It came from the hollow area between the trees, obscured by the ever growing heaviness of the rain as a flash of a blade signalled him to a greater alertness. Setting the horse off as fast as he could, he reached down and hooked his arm around Syna's waist, hauling her up onto the horse.

Thrusting the reins into her hands as she swung her leg over the horse's thumping back, he drew a kunai out of his weapons bag bouncing at his hip and said, "Keep going, I'll be right behind you." He leapt off the horse's back, picking up a speeding stride alongside the horse. At the same time he yanked down his mask, exposing his sharingan eye.

With the sharingan eye he could make out the shapes of people. They were almost deformed though, looking like shadows that were attempting to drag themselves into the full shape of a person. A glint to his left caught his eye as he brought up the kunai to block another that had come rocketing at him out of the darkness.

Syna kept the horse pounding forward. The rain was trying it's best to block her sight, almost obscuring the upcoming obstacles.

Shadows kept sprinting through the shower of water. Syna could make them out as well as Kakashi, though she couldn't pin them out accurately as she flew by on horseback.

There was a low rumble of the thunder, and lightning cracked in the sky, illuminating everything for a moment. Standing right before them was a single lone person, but the sight of the person took her aback and she yanked back firmly on the reigns, pulling Trigger to a halt. The person stood there, donned in a silvery clothing, and strapped with kunais along his vest. What caught her eye and sent her heartbeat thumping against her ribcage with a jolt was the mask. Black, with the single red line down the centre and red outlines of the emotionless eyes.

Kakashi had fallen far enough behind, dodging unseen attacks that by the time he started to catch back up with Syna and her horse the man had already began to perform a handsign. "Syna get out of there!" he shouted loudly, but the thunder clap from the sky snatched most of it away. The man finished his jutsu, and Kakashi was almost thrown from his feet as the ground began to shake violently. It groaned with movement, until bursting forth to the side of the lone man came two large fountains, faceless spiralling snakes of water the ground had already soaked up in the downpour. Kakashi thrust his hands together quickly, performing his own jutsu and with a surge of his own chakra the rain began to take a new shape, colliding into the spiralling twister of water with a spray of water. The man drooped his head a little, as if he would have been glaring at Kakashi as he continued to race forward to try get to Syna.

The horse was still paralyzed, frozen in fear. Syna... she wouldn't move either. She didn't move in time as a third spiral of water came smashing down like a giant bullet for her, knocking both her and the horse backwards. Finally though, she pushed herself free and hit the ground, rolling a little. The attack came again, one for her, two for Kakashi. He dodged easily as Syna rolled on the ground and dodged as the tip of the watery bullet smashed through into the muddy ground.

A spray of kunais suddenly filled the air from the treeline. Kakashi leapt forward, dodging the ones aimed for him until he stood in front of Syna. His kunai in hand, he swung it around as he slipped out more from his bag, letting them fly through the rain. The water bounced off them, catching others and knocking them away. Kakashi scowled, holding three in each hand by his fingertips as he stood over Syna. More shadowy figures were appearing, moving out from the trees until they stood around the two. Trapped in the centre. There had to be at least a dozen, though from what he remembered about the last time Kakashi had fought them last time, it felt like there should have been more. Were they really that strong, to hold off so many Leaf Shinobi?

"Ah, so your still alive then," came one cold curt voice. The figure stepped forward, and Kakashi gripped the handle of his kunai tighter when he saw the long sword in the other's hand. The voice felt like it would have a mocking face, the corner of his lips turning up into a smile or a smirk as he cocked his head slightly. "I'm surprised. I thought I had done a good job in killing you."

Kakashi crouched a little, bracing for an attack. The only thing that stopped him charging was a hand that grabbed his shoulder, bringing his attention to Syna who was on her feet.

"Kakashi, don't fight them." The rain made rivlets down her pale face, hair falling in a mess of golden lumpy waves on her shoulder, but her bright eyes were firm and pleading. "You don't know who these people are, they are much too strong together."

Before she could say anymore though the same pillar of spiralling water slammed down towards them. Kakashi pushed Syna back as it slammed down between them where they had stood barely a moment ago.

The others moved in, like a ghostly pack of silent warriors. Kakashi moved quickly, soon surrounded by a large number of shadow clones. They all collided with the attackers, the Kakashi's fending off the enemy rogues. It was hard though. The movements were ripping open his wounds again, and without even being touched the blood began to trickle out. When he didn sustain a blow, it jarred his senses and almost incapacitated him. They continued fighting him, and he went through countless amounts of chakra to fend them off as the minutes ticked by.

Kakashi's real form was fighting against one. This one was fast, and much more bulky than the others, but against Kakashi his movements were slow. After what almost felt like forever but could only have been a minute, the man slipped up. Kakashi's kunai whipped up and under him, knocking the mask from it's perch on the man's face as the kunai sliced across his now bare throat.

As the man fell to the ground, his blood already being snatched away into the dirt by the rain, his headband fell to the ground at his feet. Kakashi caught the gleam of the silver. Knowing where the ninja came from, it would be easier to have them targeted and recruit help from their city about them turning rogue. That is if he got back to Konoha alive. Kakashi almost froze in place when he saw the clear wink of the headband as the lightning flashed again. The metal plate was blank, without a single mark. This wasn't any headband from any Nation, but only Shinobi were ever given them. They weren't made anywhere else.

"Kakashi!" Syna shouted, and he looked down to catch out of the corner of his sharingan eye the water pillar that had been smashing into the ground around them lengthen and thin, til it was more like a whip. It wrapped around his ankle, picking him up high into the air and slamming him down on the ground. He cried out in pain as it jolted him and finally tore open a large amount of the deeper wounds in his chest.

Syna saw the water release his foot and he dropped to the ground like a stone. When he didn't get up again, seeing the blood start seeping out onto the ground then she knew he had taken damage. There was too many of them, and Kakashi was still too injured. There was no way he would win this fight alone. Though with every fibre and bone in her body she had wished she wouldn't have to get involved, or to fight. Too late now.

Two of them moved in to attack Kakashi. Syna shot forward faster than she had let herself run in a long time, at Kakashi's side in a moment. A kunai was in each of her hands, deflecting the strikes and with a loud yell she threw off the two men.

Spinning the kunai to regrip them better in her hands, she scowled at the men through the rain.

They were laughing. She saw their shoulders shake. They thought already she was a joke. And she knew they had a right to think that. They were strong. They were the best. They were the ultimate. Because she remembered once she had stood in their ranks.

They didn't recognise her though, which was good. Because they would have already attacked her, prompting a worse fight that she couldn't afford.

So before they could attack again, she thrust her hands together, performing a quick jutsu. The feeling of chakra surging through her veins was almost alien, as well as familiar. The tingle that she hadn't felt for the last few years, as she threw out her hands.

The air rippled, and the blustering wind and rain from the storm suddenly all at once switched it's course. Whipping all at once, the winds and rain met in the one spot to smash into the men in their masks. The jutsu caught them off guard, because they hadn't been expecting it. It was also too strong for them, physically stopping them from moving any part of their body to free themselves from the grip of the storm.

It wouldn't last long. Syna picked up Kakashi, who was by now half unconscious. He had put up a good fight, fighting all these men at once for so long, especially with his injuries. She slung his arm across her shoulder and took off like a shot into the tree line. Both her horses were dead, and the jutsu wouldn't stay up for much longer, after which the men would soon be hot on their trail. They were fast, but she was faster at least. Though with no more supplies, and stopping for rest at any point before reaching Konoha held a possible fatal risk, she didn't know how long she would be able to go.

With Kakashi continuously falling into unconsciousness on her shoulder, and her feeling the strain on her muscles from even using a little bit of chakra, she knew it would probarbly be rough going to reach Konoha. She wished she didn't have to use her chakra. What was worse though is knowing now who they were up against.

If they were out in the middle of foreign lands, then nothing good was about to happen. She didn't know what they were planning..... only that it would probarbly be catastrophic, and possibly the brink of mass destruction.

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Yes I know Kakashi is out of it again..... leave it alone! He just fought off a lot of tough baddies when he was practically mortally wounded! I give kudos to the guy for being to stand up that long!

Stick around please! Oooooo and reviews are REALLY REALLY NICE!!! Be nice..... or I kill Kakashi! ........okay so I wouldn't do that..... But um..... I will make him drink a potion that turns him polka dotted! I know that you guys don't want a polka dotted Kakashi!!!


	5. Chapter 5

It was the early hours of the morning. Dawn wasn't too far off, already the sky was beginning to glow with the gentle pastel colours of pink and purple just at the line of the horizon. Most of the land was still shrouded with the dark sky of the night, the black specked with the stars both slowly fading into a navy blue that grew lighter as the sun slowly came closer to peeking it's face over the land. The only sounds were the ones of the waking birds in the forest surrounding the city of Konoha.

There were a couple Jonin on guard duty at the outside walls near the entrance of the city. They were all on high alert for anything that looked suspicious, anything at all that looked out of the ordinary. After the group of Jonin had returned the other day, half of them with severe injuries and with six of their number dead, one of them even including the great Copy Ninja Kakashi Hatake who had gone missing during the night they were ambushed, the city had been on high alert. It was only a few days travel from the place in the Lorli mountains where the ambush had taken place. They had sent a few Jonin back, along with some Anbu in a seperate path around the mountains to get to the town that had been first attacked. The others were all on alert in case the same enemy rogues came anywhere near to Konoha.

This morning, like the others, began the dawn in a quiet sunrise. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary, but the Jonin knew better than to let looks decieve them so they kept their eyes sharp. According to the others who returned, the rogues attacked them from almost out of thin air, rolling in with the storm clouds that had come out of nowhere. They weren't going to take chances this time around.

The group of them were posted high above on the wall, so they could oversee the forest and the path that was leading up to the city gate. So far they had seen nothing in the slightest that would seem out of place but that didn't mean they weren't on a little bit of an edge. One of the Jonin's on duty was Asuma. He was the one with the sharpest eyes, surveying everything with a slight look of withdrawness on his face.

Suddenly one of the men spotted something. It was a dark shape, a figure coming up the path. "Hey, someone's coming!"

They all instantly were on alert, facing out towards the pathway. Indeed there was someone on it, though they weren't approaching entirely quickly. A normal attack would have been a lot more stealthy, so that they couldn't see them until the last moment. Still, they couldn't risk mistaking the person in case they were an enemy attempting to fool them.

As the figure came closer they could start to make out it wasn't just one person, but two. One was draped over the others shoulder, while the person still walking appeared to almost be limping, each step a slow struggle but they continued pushing forward.

Asuma frowned, turning his head to one of the others. "One of you come with me. If it's someone who's been attacked then they may need attention. The rest of you stay on alert for anything that looks suspicious."

They nodded in affirment, as Asuma and another Jonin leapt down onto the path below. The two figures were almost at the gates of Konoha, but from the wall above and in the dark it was hard to make out them. As the two Jonin approached the figures though, they found themselves looking into the tired face of a young woman, what would have been a pretty face framed by gold hair instead a look of exhaustion of flickering consciousness that was smudged by mud and dirt. Her eyes looked like they were barely focused anymore, but a slight spark of relief filled them when she saw the two approach.

What caught Asuma's attention with a sudden start was the person draped over her shoulder. His silver hair was sreaked with mud, and he was slathered in blood, but as he tilted his head weakly up and gave a slight smile from beneath his battered mask, even raising his hand to give a little greeting salute, Asuma instantly knew that this was most definately Kakashi.

"Kakashi!" He held his hand out, removing his friend from the exhausted arms of the woman who had been helping Kakashi stand. She let out a breath, and a moment later her own legs gave out as she finally collapsed into unconsciousness. The other Jonin who had been with Asuma quickly put out his arms so that she fell gently into them.

Kakashi was almost out of consciousness as well. As Asuma hooked his amazingly still alive friend's arm over his shoulder he couldn't help but feel the stick warmth of blood leaking out onto his hands. "Come on, get them to the hospital quickly."

The other nodded, and began to quickly sprint back through the gate of Konoha, their movements already alerting the others on guard that the two weren't dangerous enemies and there was no need to leave their positions for a need of backup. It didn't take too long to reach the hospital of the special wing for injured Shinobi, and the medical nurses were pulling Kakashi away into another room as soon as Asuma stepped through the open glass doors. They also seized ahold of the other woman from the other Jonin, though Asuma had no idea if she was actually a ninja or just someone who must have somehow ended up with Kakashi. She bore no headband on her head like Kakashi's dirt and blood splattered one. But ninja or not, she had got Kakashi here, and though they were both now in unconsciousness they were both safe in Konoha.

________________________________________

Waking brought the largest headache Syna had felt in a long time. She sat up slowly, blinking light into her eyes and pressing the palm of her hand against her forehead. The dull pounding against her skull was painful, but it started to ebb away after a few long deep breaths. Using her usual chakra, instead of just her usual maximum set line of medical chakra only had taken a toll on her, an almost incredibly deadly toll. Accompanied with a nights travel at the fatest speed she could manage, she was grateful that she had only collapsed unconscious. It was one of the better options.

The thought of what had happened last night slammed into her like a tonne of bricks. Surely it was impossible, a trick of her own mind and memories that had flooded her senses during the midst of battle. Though no matter how long she lay there, squeezing her eyes shut and trying to fool herself that the black masks she had seen were not what she thought. She almost fooled herself. Almost.

With her head clearer she cracked open her eyes again and managed to notice she was in a hospital room. The walls were a whitewash with a small window that sunlight streamed through. Someone, likely a nurse, had dressed her in a light blue hospital gown, and her own clothes freshly washed were draped over a chair next to the bed. It took her a moment, but her eyes opened widely at the sight of them, and she threw her feet out from under the covers, yanking her jacket into her hands. Her heart began to return to normal when she found the metal plate of the headband slide against her fingers.

But that meant at least one person, even if they didn't know what it meant, knew she had this with her.

It took her only a moment to throw off the hospital gown and pull on her own clothes, before practically sprinting through the doorway. She almost bowled headfirst into another nurse standing right outside, only just pulling to a halt before her. Another woman suddenly appeared, and she had quick reflexes, moving forward and placing her hand onto Syna's shoulder before she ended up running straight into the surprised nurse. The woman was pretty, with wavy black hair and piercing red eyes, and she was dressed in a ninja style, with a Leaf Shinobi headband across her forehead. "Careful!" she said, pushing Syna back.

"I'm sorry," Syna apologised to the two of them.

The nurse frowned at her, "You shouldn't be up for another few hours at least. Let alone moving!"

Syna shook her head, "No, I'm fine. I don't need rest."

The other Shinobi woman gave a sigh, "I swear you and Kakashi are such a trying lot for these hospital staff..." She looked at the nurse, "You can leave her to me now."

The nurse nodded, throwing Syna one slightly irritated glance that involved a rolling of eyes, muttering under her breath, "Ninjas... do more damage to themselves by their own stubborness than anything..." as she walked off down the corrider.

The other woman looked at Syna, "Syna, isin't it?" When she saw Syna's questioning face, the other gave a small smile, "Your not the only stubborn one. Kakashi has been refusing to rest for much longer either. He's been up long enough to provide as much information about the last few days, and you of course were included. My name is Kurenai." Tilting her head to the side, she said, "Come. Lady Tsunade the Hokage wishes to see you."

Syna followed closely behind Kurenai, sticking close by as they left the hospital. The sun was now high in the sky, approaching the angle of the afternoon. "Why does the Hokage want to see me?" It was an obvious thing to ask really, but Syna felt the worry gnaw at her. The original plan had been at least to make sure Kakashi got back to Konoha safely, then leave and likely never ever come back. Seeing the Hokage was not exactly the best of things for her.

Kurenai turned her head back, "Kakashi told her how you found him, and the Hokage is quite impressed about how well he has been under your care. She's a medical Shinobi herself, and from Kakashi's account she's rather interested about your technique."

Syna sighed, and Kurenai chuckled, "I would count that as a great compliment. Lady Tsunade is quite a character, she doesn't give compliments so very often."

Syna still felt the worry chewing away inside. Briefly she wondered how far she could get away from Kurenai before the other ninja realised she was gone. What were her chances of getting away from the village before someone tried to stop her?

She almost did, her feet itching to start running. But she stayed right behind Kurenai as the other led her through the bustling city of Konoha towards a larger building that had to be the Hokage's offices. The memory of how she got here was starting to kick back into her memory. She didn't want to believe that the group of ninja that attacked them was really who she thought they were, but she couldn't fool herself. And with them on the loose, and attacking people with seemingly no reason, she had to let this village know what they would be up against.

Kurenai took Syna inside the building. There were ninja everywhere, all dressed in the typical outifts of the Jonin. They eyed Syna with an interest. Either they didn't get many non-ninja in here or news or her travelled pretty fast.

Kurenai stopped outside a door, knocking lightly. The reply was a woman, "Come in."

The Hokage, Lady Tsunade, was a relatively young looking woman. She had blonde hair, and eyes that fell instantly on Syna as they walked into her office. She wasn't the only one either. The room was full of other Jonin who all turned to look at the newcomers.

Standing near to Lady Tsunade's desk was where Kakashi stood, dressed back inside one of the Jonin uniforms again and looking slightly better than he did before. He raised one hand, one visible eye closing with a smile, "Don't worry Syna, they all stare. It's normal."

While it slightly made her feel a little less self conscious, Syna still felt uncomfortable. Tsunade stood up, "Thankyou for bringing her Kurenai. I didn't expect you to be up so soon Syna. Please, come forward."

Syna nervously left Kurenai's side, though the nerves weren't so much from being under the eyes of so many at once. Tsunade was sitting at her desk, hands clasped together in front of her face so she could just peer over the top of them. "So Syna, I believe you are owed much thanks and gratitude for taking care of one of our own, Kakashi." She side eyed Kakashi, "I do trust he wasn't too much of a burden."

She shook her head, "It's just better having him able to stay on his feet for a while."

The others chuckled a little, and she saw Kakashi smile too, giving a little shrug. Soon enough though Tsunade began talking again, "The method of chakra he explained you used to heal him, may I please ask if you can show me?"

It wasn't really a request by the look in her eyes. Syna put her hand out in front, and a moment later the hazy glow surrounded her palm as the chakra began to build up. It was only medical chakra, nothing dangerous. She saw Tsunades eyes widen a little, though the rest of her face stayed pretty much in the same look. "Most intriguing. It is rather interesting chakra you can control."

The glow ceased and Syna stood there, as Tsunade stood up. "It is not just that which I hope you can help us with. Last night you were attacked by the same rogue ninja that ambushed our own Shinobi during a mission to the town we first recieved a distress from. Seeing how you managed to get Kakashi and yourself away from these same ninja when they attacked, I was hoping maybe you could tell me " She looked towards the others, eaving her hand slightly when she saw a slight discomfort in Syna's face. "Pay no heed to them. We were in a meeting before you appeared. Besides, it may prove useful."

There really was no way out of this. Also, maybe it was better to explain it to them all at once. They were the ones who had to protect the village, they needed to know what they were all going to be up against.

"Well, I can say I got away from the ninja because I can honestly run quite fast," Syna said. It was the truth.

Syna then reached into her pocket, drawing out the headband. "I believe that Kakashi may have already explained about this to you," she said, holding out the headband. It's unmarked silver surface, bearing no emblem of any sort, winked with an afternoon ray of the sun streaming into the room.

Tsunade's face flickered a little recognition, as did Kakashi's. So he had told them. "You took that from one of the members?" Tsunade asked her, clasping her hands behind her back.

Syna shook her head, "No Lady Tsunade. This headband is an official one; and my own." The sudden tenseness of them all was incredibly apparent.

"Would you care to explain. This headband, as the one Kakashi identified as one of the enemy rogues, bears no marks whatsoever. Unrecognisable as any official headband." Her eyes narrowed, "I would also like you to explain how you have ended up then with your own the same as the rogue group. If anything," she frowned, "I wish for you to tell us who you really are then."

Syna bit her lip. She looked at Kakashi, who was now eyeing her differently than she had seen him do in the past few days. A sort of curiousity, at the same time a suspicion, was in his eye. "What I could tell you could end rather terribly. I hope you are prepared, Lady Tsunade, for the possibility of great turmoil for Konoha in the future."

Tsunade nodded, "I would rather know how to protect this village than leave it open to the wolves thankyou very much."

Syna sighed, "Very well. In truth my name is Syna Irysna. I am an ex-Jonin."

There was a hesitant moment. Tsunade's face changed, and she eyed Syna a little more warily. Kakashi's face changed too. Syna didn't blame him. He had spent the last few days with her, even last night as he tried to fight off the ninja and she had stood there doing nothing as they attacked him. She still felt shameful of it, but using too much chakra... she couldn't do it. Plus, as they all were well aware, ex-Jonin only existed as murderers and dangerous criminals. She could understand the alert in their eyes.

"A Jonin? From where?" Tsunade asked, in a much tougher voice than she had used before.

Taking a deep breath, Syna answered, "From the Land of Shadows, but I was forced to abandon it and flee to the Land of Fire a few years ago for reasons I would rather not share." She held up the headband, "This headband is official for Shadow Shinobi."

She paused for a moment, hearing the silence as the information soaked into the others.

"There is no such place as the Land of Shadows," Tsunade said. Her tone was hard, and her eyes narrow as she stared down Syna.

Syna met her gaze with affirmed confidence. "I warned you that you would be facing a possibility of turmoil. The Land of Shadows is a land that likes to remain out of knowledge of all the others, and thus far has been sucessful. They may not take to it well if it reaches their ears that they have been discovered."

Tsunade clasped her chin in thought, "So these rogue ninja then... who are they?"

"The Silver Shadows. Assasins. The best of the best of the Shadow Jonin's. S Rank each one of them, rather like your ANBU, Black Op's member's of Konoha." She gripped her headband tighter in her hand, "However, the Land of Shadow is very adapted to what the name suggests. They use the shadows as attacks, and it is near impossible to tell when an attack is coming. They can use anything to slide in for an ambush; like a storm."

There were murmurs behind her from the others. They weren't sure what to make of any of this.

Tsunade stayed in pretty much her same position, "So, Syna then. You know these Silver Shadows well."

"Yes. I was once one of them." She answered without letting emotion into her voice, but it still choked up into her throat.

There was a long silence that fell. Syna could feel the easy going feeling that was surrounding her when she walked in disappearing rapidly, the tenseness about her instead increasing with every drawn breath.

"So, you can tell us what we are to expect from them?" Tsunade finally asked. Her calm manner had slightly slipped, and there was a worried look in her eyes though she tried very well to disguise it, almost suceeding.

"Yes. And I can tell you now, expect trouble. Trouble, a fierce battle and if you aren't ready to protect your village, then expect it's destruction."


	6. Chapter 6

Me: haha you thought I forgot about talking to you all last time? Well no... I was enjoying watching Kakashi try to retrieve his book... form Lady Tsunade's underwear drawyer! HAHAH

Tsunade: KAKASHI HOW DARE YOU GO THROUGH MY UNDERWEAR! I SHALL DEMOTE YOU FOR THIS! YOU SHALL PAY DEARLY!

Kakashi: BUT I WAS ONLY GETTING MY BOOK BACK! *glares at me* it's that evil girls fault

Me: *sticks out tongue*

Kakashi: right... *rolls up sleeves and tackles*

Me: EEEEP!!!! *dodges and runs*

_____________________________________________________________________________

Tsunade had stood in silence for a while. Turning to the window, eyes closed in a frown and her two forefingers pressed together against her lips in deep thought. No-one dared to speak and disturb her.

Syna's eyes wandered briefly to Kakashi. It was surprising enough to see how intensly he had been surveying her, but it wasn't of any sort of comforting gaze. It was rather harsh, like the small amount of trust that a couple days might have built up had been ripped apart. Syna didn't really blame him if he felt rather icy to her; she hadn't been forthcoming about herself... though she hadn't thought it would have been of any issue. Still, she dropped her eyes down, at the same time Kakashi turned his face away.

The other Jonin were all tense, as if any moment Syna was suddenly going to leap out and attack them. Syna wasn't that stupid. As she was now, she would be taken down in a matter of moments with so many of them, including the Hokage, in the same room as her: especially considering how alert they were now.

Tsunade finally turned back. "May all of you, apart from Syna and Kakashi, please leave." The others followed her order quickly, each of them disappearing in a puff of smoke when they pressed their palms together. Soon enough there was only the three of them left in the room: Tsunade, Kakashi and Syna.

The blonde woman pushed a stray hair back, and with her hands behind her back took a few steps towards Syna until she was only a few feet away. Syna kept her face straight, meeting Tsunades eyes. The other womans eyes held a hardness, but also a relative curiousity. "Well, Syna Irysna... I cannot express pleasure at finding an ex-Jonin who has had to leave her own land." Her eyes narrowed, "Especially for reasons unnamed. I cannot even take that as a truthful account, in accordance to the fact that this Land of Shadows you speak of has never been heard of by any other, and that you claim to have once been a part of this organisation that has been found responsible for the death of Leaf Jonin and the destruction of a small village."

She let out a breath, "However, Kakashi has told me that you did take good care of him out of only kindness... and escaped these Silver Shadows. If what you are telling us is true, then you have placed a hefty burden on yourself... though it has come at a risk to this village if these Silver Shadows are to have recognised you in the aqquaintence of Kakashi as a Leaf Shinobi, is it not?"

"They didn't recognise me," Syna told her.

"You are certain?"

Syna bit her lip. "I know if they had then I would likely not be standing here... for they would not have underestimated me and been slack enough to allow me the chance to break free of them."

"Syna, if these Silver Shadows were to attack Konoha, and judged by the fact that they were travelling in the same direction as you and Kakashi, I would rather not let my Jonin face them as unprepared and blind to their fighting style as last time." Tsunade unlocked her hands from behind her back. "In light of this new information, I ask if you could then stay in Konoha and instruct the Jonin on how to fend off these Silver Shadows."

"Lady Tsunade," Kakashi began, but Tsunade held up her hand and cut him off.

"Yes Kakashi. I am aware this is not normal protocol. However, considering the outcome of your last battles with these rogues, it is all I can do to ask what is needed to be prepared for anything in the future." Kakashi fell silent again.

"Well Syna? Can Konoha put it's trust in you?" Tsunade asked her.

Syna couldn't help feeling rather overwhelmed, but she nodded, "You can, Lady Tsunade. I still do not know the reason why the Silver Shadows have acted in this way, but there cannot be one strong enough to excuse or forgive their actions. However I can assist Konoha's safety I will do so."

"Good. We shall give you a place to stay, and I shall arrange for times that you can teach both ANBU and Jonin how to fight against these Silver Shadows. Until then, you can stay at leisure inside Konoha, under my instruction and protection."

Syna only nodded. Tsunade waved her hand, "You may leave. My assistant Shizune should be around, and she can help sort out a place for you to stay."

Thanking her, Syna left, shutting the door behind her. She let out a sigh of relief as the wood closed shut, an empty corridor waiting for her outside. She had really got it in for herself now. It took her a moment to regain herself before taking a left back down through the corridor in search of this Shizune.

________

"Kakashi.."

"Yes Lady Tsunade?" Kakashi replied. He patiently waited for the Hokages request, as they both stared at the door which closed a few moments ago.

Tsunade turned and faced him. "This Syna. You had no idea that she was a Jonin? Or that she was in someway linked with these Silver Shadows?"

Kakashi shook his head. "No. If not for her telling us, I would never be suspect."

"Your starting to get slack Kakashi. A pretty face had you fooled."

Kakashi chuckled, but it fell silent soon enough. "Tsunade, I do not think that she is a threat, but as much as she did help me and I am grateful to her, there must be a credible reason why she had to leave this Land of Shadows."

"That is exactly why I am charging you Kakashi with keeping an eye on her. I don't care how... take her to training sessions with your students, tail her or get others to keep surveillance on her... just make sure that she is under a constant watch." Tsunade walked back over to her desk. "She has somehow managed to escape from these Silver Shadows with you draped over her arms, which under the circumstances itself has to have been a feat. Also," she held her chin in one hand, "This medical chakra she displayed itself is unusual. Even I have never seen it's like. It must be strong if she healed you, which means the likeliness is that the rest of her chakra when she displays it must be equally as strong. If she does end up to be a spy, for Land of Shadows or not, then I want to make sure that there is someone there to deal with her."

She raised her eyes. "Kakashi if she displays even the slightest signs that she is leading this village into a danger, then I am charging you with the order to take her out."

Kakashi nodded, "Yes Lady Tsunade."

"You are dismissed. Syna should still be with Shizune, and I am going to arrange for her to begin training with the Jonin tomorrow morning, and the ANBU in the afternoon."

Kakashi nodded again, knowing that Tsunade wasn't expecting an answer by the tone of her voice. He used the door, unlike his fellow members had done so earlier. Kakashi knew where Shizune would be, and had no trouble locating her. Shizune was sitting in another room, trapped behind a mountain of paperwork.

"Please don't tell me Tsunade sent you with more paperwork! This is her work, not mine!" the woman complained.

"No, no." Kakashi waved his hands in front of him, "I'm looking for a woman who got sent to you. Named Syna Irysna?"

"Oh yes! The nice blonde haired woman!" She turned, filing through some papers, muttering under her breath, "Would be nice if we had a few more blondes around here who were nice..." Then guiltily she looked back at Kakashi with a slight blush in her face to see if he heard her. When she saw the crinkle at the side of his face that showed he was grinning, she begged, "Don't tell Lady Tsunade!"

Kakashi only winked, and the woman breathed a sigh of relief. "Well you just missed her. When Tsunade said there was likeliness that Syna would be staying in Konoha I already began arranging means of accomadation for her. All I had to do was give her some directions and send her on her way."

Great. Two seconds after being assigned to keep her under constant guard and Kakashi had already managed to lose her. Quickly getting the directions off Shizune, Kakashi darted out of the offices and down the street. From the rooftops he had perfect eagle eye view of the streets below, and including all the people. There was no sign of Syna in the scattered mess of the people of Konoha out and about, darting into shops or talking in the street.

He landed nimbly atop the roof of a set of small houses that had been packed together. It was often used by foreign Shinobi that were allowed use of them under the Hokages orders. Slipping down to the street level, feet landing almost silently in the dust, he stepped up to the doorway of the number Shizune gave him. He knocked a few times, but when he recieved no answer his head sank. Great.

However, he did notice a single window open. There was a possibility then that she was inside, or had been inside. He had no idea though, and the only way to find out would be to get inside. Steathily all he did was leap up, and slip inside the window, landing in a crouched position just inside the small house. A quick scan around showed that no-one had been here just recently, which meant Syna wasn't anywhere to be found.

He was standing in the middle of the living room, hands on his hips and head sunk down in an exasperated sigh when he heard footsteps behind him. "Hmm?" he turned around, to find Syna standing there leaning against the doorframe, regarding him in amused interest. "I supposed I could take this as a failed welcome, but somehow I'm not so sure." She sighed and threw a set of keys down onto a countertop around the outside of a small kitchen. "I do imagine though that it is not a usual tactic of Leaf Shinobi to welcome visitors to the village by breaking into their temporary homes? Because I would have to classify that as rather stalkerish if so."

"I didn't actually break in. The window was open..." Kakashi replied, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

Syna smiled, "Oh yes... that makes a big difference. Remind me then that I must lock up every inch of this house when I wish to go to sleep to avoid any unwelcome visitors in the night."

"Well I thought that you would have gotten here before me, seeing how you left the Hokage office a while ago. It's not a usual habit to break into houses."

"Somehow I don't believe you as much as I would like," she said, a laughing tone in her voice. "The reason that I arrived after you though is because I bumped into Kurenai. She offered to lend me some of her clothing until I can obtain some of my own while I am here, seeing how everything in the bags got left behind."

"I still have the set you lent me. It is clean if you wish it to be returned."

Syna put her hand up, "Keep it. It is more than I need to have those around."

There was a set of cups already placed out in the kitchen, and Syna began to fill a kettle. "Tea Kakashi?" she asked. He nodded, and she placed out two cups while setting the kettle on to a boil. "I have to say it's good to see your walking around well since I last saw you. They must have excellent medical ninja in Konoha."

"It's nice to think so. Although they did make note that your work was the most exceptional that they have ever seen."

Chuckling, Syna pushed back a hair that fell across her face. "So," she knelt on her elbows on the countertop. "I assume that you did not come here to welcome me in. More so I expect now our roles have reversed, and now you will be constantly keeping vigil on me, though I dare say it will be a lot harder as I am not trapped bed bound or on horseback."

Kakashi folded his arms. "May I ask how you know that?"

She grinned before pulling the boiled kettle off the stove and pouring fresh tea into the two cups. "I'm not that oblivious. I show up here blabbering off about a Land no-one has heard of, announcing I'm an ex-Jonin and former member of a group of rogues on the loose. Do you really think for a moment that I went without doubt that the Hokage would place some sort of surveillance on me in case I ended out to be some sort of spy? Sure enough if I display some sort of suspcious behaviour you have also been told to kill me?"

"Smarter than you act out at times."

"One notch up on the espionage scale?" she blew gently the steam off her tea and took and sip.

"Quite possibly." Watching her taking carefree sips from her tea, Kakashi couldn't help but say, "You seem very calm about knowing I'm under orders that I can kill you."

She shrugged and pushed his cup towards him, seeing how he seemed to have forgotten it. "I'd be more worried if you were a much larger and rounded ninja, because there would be the possibility that you could kill me by sitting on me, and that is about the only sort of death I am rather not partial to."

He actually started laughing, taking hold of his cup and he lifted it. Briefly though he paused, at which she rolled her eyes and turned her back to him. "There you go," she said, and then put one hand out with her index finger up, "And it is not poisoned either in case you were wondering."

Kakashi had already downed the drink before that even crossed his mind to think about. By the time Syna turned back around he had lifted his mask back up.

"So, if I am to have you tailing me then I might as well find interesting places to go to. Care to suggest any?" Syna asked him, as she finished off her cup and placed both of them in the sink.

"Well, um, I do have to go and have a training session with my students. It has been a while since I was last here, and I assure you that they are probarbly bored out of their minds. Naruto and Sakura will be particuarly bad I'm sure. Meeting you might perk them up and save me from their wrath."

"Oh theres a nice gesture. Offering me up like a piece of meat to your ravenous students to save your own skin, and at the same time your keeping an eye on me. Your smarter than you act at times too Kakashi." Syna straightened up, grabbing the keys off the countertop and headed for the door. "Lead the way."

As he exited out the door, Syna shutting it behind her, he turned to her and said, "You know you are probarbly the only person who has taken the knowledge that they are going to be constantly under ninja surveillance in a cheery manner."

Again Syna shrugged. "It is rather strange to me I admit, after so many years living by myself in solitude. Maybe the idea of having people around so much is just a pleasing thought in my subconscious." She pushed his arm, "Come on then. If I'm to be some sort of slaughter sacrifice for your students then I'd rather get it over with."

Kakashi began to walk, taking a stride down the street beside Syna. They had reached the end of the road, when Syna began to start laughing.

"What is it?" Kakashi asked, baffled.

Syna shook her head, and suddenly she was gone from his side. Kakashi stopped dead, before hearing someone call, "Kakashi!" He followed the sound of the voice, to see her crouched down atop a rooftop just above. "Well since you now know who I am, I might as well make the journey a little faster than walking," she called down. "I thought you Jonin were smart enough to figure these sorts of things out."

He was soon beside her. "Sorry, but it is still taking a little time to remember indeed that you are a shinobi."

"Maybe this will help a little," she said, before pointing to her side. "This way right?" When Kakashi nodded Syna took off like a rocket, already two rooftops away. Kakashi stood frozen in place for a moment before taking off after her. It took a little while, but soon enough he caught back up to her.

"You took your time," she grinned.

Kakashi sighed. Keeping Syna under surveillance was going to be an experience in itself.

He wondered how she was going to take on his students.

________________________-

Blah. It's late and the ending went a little haywire but meh! I'll put in a fight in the next chapter *promise*


	7. Chapter 7

Me: SHHHHHHHHHHHH! Be very very quiet! *ducks down into bushes* Kakashi is looking for me..... and I think he'll murder me if he finds me....

Kakashi: *appears* THERE YOU ARE!!!

Me: GAH!!!! *runs and avoids kunai*

Kakashi: GET BACK HERE! YOU STILL HAVE MY BOOK!!!

Me: HELP!

_______________________________________________

Kakashi stopped them just about towards the outskirts of the city. At least where the tamed part of the city lay. Beyond that there was a clearing, surrounded by the thick lush green forest that hid Konoha from the outside world. The clearing they were approaching was obviously a training ground.

"What?" Syna asked when Kakashi held his hand to stop them.

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head, "Well I'm just going to go talk to them first, and let them know your coming. They can get rather... fierce..."

Syna crossed her arms, "You trust me to stay here?"

"Well I will just request you stay there. It would be easier than me having to drag you back if you decide to run."

"Little confident in yourself," Syna said, corner of her mouth tweaking up.

Kakashi tilted his head to the side with a small shurg, but as he began to walk out into the open to the training ground Syna turned her head to the side. His tone had stated quite clearly how much he trusted her now.

She leant against a tree, shrouded by the shade and blending into the darker greens and browns, as Kakashi was suddenly ambushed by three young looking kids who had been waiting out on the field of the training ground. Two of them looked like they were almost ready to rip their sensai into tiny little pieces. One was a girl with bright pink hair in a red dress, and the other was a short spiky blonde haired boy in a bright orange kit. The third was a dark haired boy in a blue shirt and grey trousers, who looked rather ticked off but wasn't throwing loud accusations at Kakashi. She could pick each one of them out exactly like Kakashi described, with no trouble identifying them. The girl was Sakura, the blonde boy was Naruto, and the other was Sasuke.

Syna couldn't help giggling as their loud voices drifted over.

"What do you mean you were busy?! You told us to be here two hours ago!!" screamed Sakura, waving her fists around.

"Yeah Kakashi sensai! Your always late! What do you even do?!" Naruto backed her up. They looked like they were going to start shredding their teacher any moment now. Maybe saying he'd be torn into little pieces was too kind earlier... at this rate there might not be anything left.

Kakashi seemed like he was trying to convince them otherwise about where abouts he had been. All in all as he stood there, hands in his pockets and a carefree crinkle about his visible eye, he was incredibly calm when he was being screamed at. Syna chuckled aloud as she shifted herself from the tree into a standing position just in the shadows of the treeline.

Her eyes darted up at the glint of silver metal catching against the sunlight. Her hand whipped up and neatly caught the handle of a kunai that had been thrown in her direction. She looked out, and saw a dark expression on Sasukes face as he stared at her through the shadows. By the surprised expression on his fellow students expressions, and Kakashi's look over his shoulder, Syna knew that it must have been Sasuke who had seen her and thrown the kunai. It would be suffice if he thought there was the possibilty she was an enemy, these woods were thick and if anyone was able to navigate them then this is the first place they would likely end out.

Syna stepped out into sunlight, and she saw the three students brace when she twirled the kunai around her finger. Raising her other hand that was free from the kunai, she started waving as she approached them. "Hey!" She tossed the kunai back to the black haired boy, who caught it smoothly and gripped it tightly. "Sasuke isin't it? Good shot," she said with a cheery smile.

"Who are you?" he growled in response, "And how do you know my name?"

Touchy. He seemed worse than the over expressant personalities of the other two, who were also eyeing Syna warily. Syna was glad when Kakashi said, "Relax you three. This is Syna, she's joining us for today. I have already told her about all three of you," he told Sasuke, who still glared at her out the corner of his eye. Wow, he was a touchy young man. Then Kakashi looked at Syna, grumpily saying, "You were supposed to wait."

"Well when it looks like the students are going to tear their sensai open and then one of them starts throwing kunai at you when your trying to stay hidden, then it's sort of hard too..." Syna replied with equal attitude.

"Kakashi sensai, is this why you were late?" Sakura asked with a sly tone in her voice as she eyed her teacher with a grin.

"I guess so." Kakashi said it unashamed.

"So you two were out on a date then?" Naruto asked, a huge grin plastered across his face.

Kakashi's face obviously showed that he hadn't realised what they had initially been thinking. He held his hands up, "No, it's nothing like that." Clearly the look on Naruto and Sakura's face showed their clear disbelief, and they continued to give him sly grins.

Syna herself couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Boy Kakashi, you walked us both right into that." She tilted her head to his students, who were all looking at her, "No I'm afraid your sensai has been too busy breaking into other peoples houses."

"I didn't break in," Kakashi muttered defensively. "That window was open." He turned back to his students to gain their attention again, "Besides the point, Syna is a visitor in Konoha, and I'm charged with helping her around." Syna did her best not to roll her eyes or portray any sort of gesture that would suggest otherwise than that to the students. Really the less people in this village that knew the real reason she was here, the better probarbly. Kakashi kept speaking, "As such, she's going to observe your training."

Naruto made a fist with his hand, punching it into the air. "Yeah! Finally, an audience to see how awesome I am!" He turned the fist into a pointed index, and aimed it towards Syna. "Syna, my name is Naruto Uzumaki, and the future Hokage of this village! Believe it, you will see things you have never seen before!"

"Oh please Naruto!" Sakura rolled her eyes at him, and then with a most polite smile she turned to Syna. "Kakashi sensai said he told you, but my name is Sakura. Pleasure to meet you."

"Pleasures all mine," Syna replied. She liked the girl, at least she was polite without the over boistrous attitude or the mistrusting glare out the side of her eye.

Kakashi waited until Sasuke finally introduced himself proparly, and then said, "Well with that out the way, we should begin training for the day."

"Bring it on!" Naruto yelled.

Syna spent her afternoon sitting beneath the shade of a worn tree stump, watching over the three in their training with Kakashi. It was really supposed to be something used for practising kicks and punches, shown by the worn marks on the wood where the bark had taken rough beating from a dozen fists and feet. It made it into a rather uncomfortable leaning post, but it was better than nothing as Syna sank her back against the rough ridges and relaxed. Her rest in the hospital had been a good amount of time to refuel, but she still needed just a little time to sit back and unwind.

The three students had it a lot tougher than her at the moment. Kakashi was taking them through some dodging and attacking drills, where he would get one of them to hold onto a tiny bell and the others had to attempt to take it from them using only Taijutsu. Sasuke was clearly one of the more talented. He was faster than the others, and easily found a way around Naruto. Sakura was interesting to watch. She may not have been as strong or fast compared to her male companions, but she was clever that much was obvious. Syna could see it by the look in her eye, that the girl was trying to strategize most of her moves. Successfully in the end she was the one to retrieve the bell from Sasuke, which took a fair bit of doing.

By the end of it the three of them looked exhausted, and Naruto especially frustrated considering he had been the only one who failed to get the bell, whereas Sasuke had retrieved it twice.

"Ah, Kakashi sensai it's not fair!" he moaned, clearly in a mood because of it.

The silver haired ninja only cocked his head to the side. The bell was now in his fingers, and he twirled it around them absently, "You want to try again?"

"Yes!"

Kakashi continued to twirl the bell, "Well then practise hard and we'll try it next lesson." Naruto somewhat deflated, but Kakashi gripped the bell in his fingers tightly, "Enough Naruto, you've trained well for one day. Go and get yourself some Ramen to eat, and I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Will you actually be there this time?" Sakura asked, with a sideways smile towards Syna.

"Yes, and Syna will be here tomorrow morning too," Kakashi answered. "Now," he looked up at the sky, which was starting to darken into the colours of evening, "Off you go."

"Night Kakashi sensai," the three students replied. Sakura waved, Naruto threw a thumbs up, and Sasuke just looked at her, as they wished her a good evening as well. She put her hand up and gave a little wave, "Will see you tomorrow morning!"

Within moments the three of them were gone, leaving Kakashi and Syna by themselves. Syna got to her feet, stretching out her back which was now stiff after sitting for so many hours. A gnaw in her stomach told her she was hungry too. It had been a while since she last ate.

"Nice students," she said as she walked over towards Kakashi. "So shall we go?" She had all the intention of asking him where abouts they would be able to scope out some good restaurants in the town. This Ramen shop he had mentioned to Naruto sounded particuarly tempting.

Kakashi stayed firmly where he was though. The shadows of the evening that were starting to cast themselves out across the forest and training ground darkened his face ever so slightly, but she could still feel the penetrating look of his visible eye. He raised the hand which held the bell in it, and tossed it to her. Syna only just put her hand out in surprise to catch it in her palm. The small thing was thin metal, that made a little tinkle when she moved it.

"It's your turn," Kakashi said.

"What?" she asked.

"It's your turn to keep the bell from me." Kakashi answered rather coolly. He held up his other hand, revealing a second bell, which he tightened around his wrist. "At the same time you have to try retrieve mine. First to collect the others bell is the victor."

"Why?" she frowned.

"If you, a stranger in Konoha, are going to be teaching us how to protect our own village, then I want to know that what you are teaching us is worthwhile of skill level. Show me what you can do."

He was already in a fighting stance. Syna grit her teeth, and put her hands up, "Kakashi please, I would rather not fight right now. Your still injured, and frankly I'm not up for a fight right now."

"You should know better though that they may strike without warning," he said, and shot forward.

Syna stepped aside, and he just glided by her. "Kakashi, listen to me! Save this for tomorrow!"

Kakashi was already bracing into another stance, "Just fight Syna!"

"You know what, fine!" she growled, and she latched the bell around her wrist like the students had done earlier. Forget her stomach that was groaning pitifully, and the ache in her muscles which a night of sleep would cure. If he wanted to fight, fine by him, she'd fight. Stubborn man. "You asked for it."

He didn't even know she had moved until she was by his side and reaching for the bell. In surprise he drew back, snapping his wrist out the way and simultaneously reaching for hers.

Syna was gone again before he even started to reach. She was fast, and a tug at his wrist soon helped him locate her. Kakashi spun, snapping out a punch which she threw her hand up to protect herself from. The feeling of his palm meeting such a sturdy grip was definately different than what he had been expecting. Clearly this must have showed in his face, though he had only shown it for a moment in his expression. Syna half heartedly grinned, before throwing her own punch for his face, which he ducked.

Again she was fast though, and a well aimed kick threw him back a few feet into the air. Syna leapt up after him, hand outstretched for the bell that gently chimed where it dangled in the air from his wrist. He flipped over backwards, landing one foot on her shoulder which he pushed off from. They both spun backwards, landing on their feet only a few feet away from each other.

It began again soon. Syna led it, by racing in at him with her hands drawn back to throw another punch. Kakashi put his arms to deflect the punch, throwing his own jabs and kicks. Each one he threw she blocked, and each that she dealt to him he also managed to dodge. It was a battle of skill and wits matched against each other, neither getting a shot in on the other, yet never relenting their effort. The bells chimed loudly in the thrashing they recieved by the whipping movements of their arms.

Kakashi let his guard drop for a single second, and Syna took full advantage of it, rushing in at him. A strike into the ribs, much stronger than anticipated and definately a blow to Kakashi because of his injuries which were still rather tender at the moment. The moment he took to suck in a shaky breathe was all it took for her to throw another jab into his stomach at that same lightning speed she kept moving at. Whatever doubt he had about her really being a top Jonin was definately gone. If she wanted to, he very much assumed she could apply lethal force. That, as she had put it before, sent her 'one up on the espionage scale'.

Syna leapt in again, this time to deliever one more strike so that she could incapacitate him enough so she could go for the bell. Halfway through her movement though, something in her stern face that had been locked in the moment of the fight changed. It was almost like something sharp had suddenly pierced her, and her movement slacked a little. Kakashi could see nothing that would have done that, and took the moment of opportunity to begin a retaliation of attacks. The jabs into her ribs, shoulders and stomach threw her back a few feet, and he lunged in, fingers closing about the bell.

What happened next was something he could barely describe. One moment she was there, and next she was literally gone. There was no blur of her moving like she had before, no sign that she had just moved out the way incredibly quickly. Quite literally she had just disappeared.

He turned sharply around at the sound of footsteps, and found her half hunched over, using her knees for support. He straightened up, as did she. Appart from the suprise at the sudden disapperance and reappearance she made, he had still won. His fingers had closed about the bell on her wrist a brief moment before she had gone, and he now held it in his fingers. He held it up to show her.

Much to his surprise though, Syna actually began to grin. Then she held up her hand, and dangling from her fingers was Kakashi's own bell. He hastily looked down at his wrist, and for the first time actually noticed that indeed the bell that had been tied about his wrist was missing. He hadn't noticed in the slightest.

Syna took a few steps forward, tossing the bell back to him. "Well, do I pass Kakashi?"

The smile that was still on her face, and the unbelievable truth that she actually had suceeded in getting the bell off him (a task he had actually rather doubted her about for a little while) made him laugh as he pocketed the bells. "I guess you do Syna. Though next time it won't be so easy."

"With the sharingan I'm guessing?" Her laugh at his surprise was one that said 'surely you don't think I'm that oblivious?' "Good, fine... now can we please go and get something to eat!? Surely you ate when you woke up earlier, but I am STARVING!" She folded her arms, tapping her foot, "Come on high and mighty Konoha ninja, come feed the poor starving one."

"And if I don't?" he asked as he began to walk forward back towards her and at the same time towards Konoha.

Her hands were now on her hips, "Hey your the one who has been placed in charge of keeping an eye on me. I'll be sure then to make every single moment a great difficulty, and now you know I can. So chop chop."

Sometimes it felt like there was two seperate people inside the one of her. She was always so cheery, snapping into a light hearted and teasing mood so quickly. But she definately had something about her too. This fight was proof enough, that when she had to be, she could snap right back into a darker and much stronger frame of mind that was determined and serious.

"So," she said as she fell into a step beside him, "Where are we going to eat? This Ramen shop sounds most inviting!"

Guess Ramen was on the menu. Kakashi didn't want to admit but his own stomach had been growling most uncomfortably too for the last hour or so. During the fight he had ignored it, but now it came back with a vengence.

His sharp eye caught her absently rubbing her hand against the flat part of her sternum with a slight wince. It wasn't somewhere he had struck in the fight, and soon she dropped her hand. Strange, but then again it had been an intense fight. Maybe he had struck her without realisation.

Feeding Syna Ramen was like feeding Naruto Ramen. She ate almost as excitedly, though Kakashi was relieved that she didn't eat as much as he did, nor as messily and noisily. She managed it with grace and dignity, and for that he was glad. Especially when he paid the bill.

He directed her back to her temporary house. It looked rather uninviting from the outside, but as soon as the lights were on inside it gave off a warm glow. Kurenai must have already been around to drop off some clothes for Syna, because when she bade Kakashi a good night as he took up a lookout position outside, she was wearing a different outfit.

"Don't stay up too late Kakashi," she teased. Then with a glare, "And I'm locking all my windows."

He put his hand up, with a smile. "Fine." Then she was gone, and the light inside the house clicked off as she finally settled for the night.

There were other Jonin out this time at night. He could catch one of them and put them on guard duty while he got some rest for tomorrow. His injuries did need some rest, and after all he did have a training lesson with Syna.

He wondered, after what he had seen her do today, just exactly what that would involve.

Only the new dawn of the day would tell, he thought, as he settled himself down comfortably, and began to watch the darkened house.

________________________________

Yay!!! *high five* I'm in a happy mood! Yay Kakashi! Woop woop! Oooo forgive me if I don't get any parts out for a while... I do have exams coming up... so grrrr I'll be studying for them.... I might try sneak another chapter out if i can ;D


	8. Chapter 8

Me: There's been no sign of Kakashi for a while now.... I think I might be safe.....

*rustle of bushes and net falls down from tree top*

Me: EEEEP!!!!

Kakashi: AHA! You are now in my clutches.... so hand over my book...

Me: Or what?

Kakashi: I do this... *pokes over and over with stick*

Me: The horror!!!

* * *

A few hours had passed. As the night settled into it's comfortable position wrapped in the arms of darkness and sleep little happened. The streets cleared of people, and the town began to unwind until all of it had fallen into a silent doze.

Kakashi was still seated out on the roof, eyes never leaving the home where Syna would have long ago fallen asleep. For extra precaution measure he had placed a few shadow clones about the outside of the building, so that every single exit was covered. Though there had been no sign of life from inside the house for a while, and with no sign that she had left the house either then he assumed she had to be asleep. He himself was beginning to feel the tug of sleep at his eyes, and the occasional thump of pain through some of the worse injuries that weren't yet quite healed grew worse the longer he stayed outside.

He'd probarbly go and fetch another Jonin soon. There was no sense in him being dead on his feet tomorrow for training.... well that would be later today by now. Kakashi stood up, stretching out his limbs and ridding the stiffness from his joints after remaining crouched in one position for so long. It was time for him to call it a night. He'd leave his shadow clones here for now until he'd sent some replacements to take over.

A sharp screaming caught his attention. Kakashi turned to where it was coming from, which was right inside the house Syna was in. The screaming didn't stop by the time he had reached the window, yanking at the frames. He cursed. Syna really had locked them.

His only other option was to leap right through the window itself. His hands in front of his face protected him from the broken glass that rained down in shattered fragments to the floor. In the sound of breaking glass the screaming had stopped, but when Kakashi sprinted though the open door into the bedroom he found Syna sprawled on the floor.

She was shaking, her hair flung out limply in a deflated mass of golden waves, and her arms wrapped about herself with a look of pain on her face.

Kakashi knelt down beside her, "Syna." He pulled her up to a sitting position, "What happened?" His voice was cool and rational, quite unlike the shock he felt at seeing her in this state. At first she gave little indication she even noticed he was there, biting down on her lip with a look of pain on her face, and her arms hugging to herself tightly. Kakashi tried again, this time with a little more urgency, "Syna!"

Her eyes snapped up onto him. There was a look of fear imprinted deeply in them, emphasized by the gentle trickle of moonlight that came in through the closed curtain across the window. "Kakashi?"

Almost as suddenly she scowled at him, "What are you doing here?!" She pressed her hands onto his chest, pushing him back so she could drag herself to her feet, pressing her hand against her forehead. "How did you get in? I thought I locked everything up!"

She stopped, seeing the glitter of glass on the floor just outside the door, and her eyes widened a little. "Oh your joking Kakashi. You don't really go breaking into people's houses do you?"

Kakashi was frazzled for a moment, seeing how quick she had gone from being in some sort of petrified state on the floor a second ago to throwing accusations about him breaking into homes again. However that didn't dissuade him from the fact that there was a good reason he had broken in. "You were screaming. I found you on the floor Syna. Why?"

She put her hand up, waving it, "I had a bad dream. Even grown adults get them Kakashi."

"You were terrified, and in pain," he added.

She put her hands on her hips, "Do I look like I'm in pain now?" Seeing that he couldn't disagree to the question, she nodded. Sighing, she said in a much softer tone, "Sorry Kakashi. It was just a nightmare. Seems childish to you I suppose, but that's all it was." She eyed him out, "Now, if you please I would like to go back to sleep, and I reckon you need to go get sleep as well."

She didn't really leave him a choice with that tone in her voice. It sounded more like a 'Leave the apartment now and get sleep, or face deadly force' statement. He sighed. Well he'd already sent one of his clones to go and fetch a replacement, and they would be here any moment now. He really should go and get some sleep now.

Standing at the frame of the window, he looked back at her. "Sorry about the window."

Syna laughed, her forehead pressed against her hand, "Yes, well... I suppose this teaches me in the future to at least leave one unlocked in case of emergency."

"Goodnight Syna."

"Goodnight Kakashi." Syna turned her back on him, now closing the door to the bedroom, instead of leaving it wide open as it had been before. Unable to see her any longer, Kakashi left the house.

He didn't feel any guilt for his actions. Though Syna may have tried to convince him that it had just been a nightmare, the amount of pain that had flickered through her eyes, and the sheer terror as she curled up into a tiny ball on the floor was unmistakable. There was something else that had caused her to scream, and it wasn't just because of a nightmare.

Before Kakashi had held Syna in what was just an instinctive suspicion, natural given the circumstances between her and the Silver Shadows. However that fear and pain in her eyes had been completley real. There was something she was trying to hide; a truth that she was trying to keep him from discovering. Whether it was going to be something harmful to Konoha or not he didn't know. Whatever she was hiding though, he now held her in a mistrusting frame of mind. Part of him still knew how much he owed her for saving his life when she first announced who she was, shrugging his first feelings off, but he still couldn't shake this new one off.

Maybe Tsunade had been correct. His first instinct not to trust her had been overshadowed by her pretty face. She didn't seem like someone who would put them in danger. It was strange though, because normally such a thing as a face would mean nothing to Kakashi. It was the person itself he judged by.

Kakashi managed to locate Iruka, who was just about to go onto duty at the wall. They had enough people already there though, and he accepted to take over Kakashi's position to watch over the house Syna was in. Truthfully Kakashi had seen Guy, but as soon as he did he had slipped away into the darkness to avoid being seen. Since Kakashi had returned far more alive than they had thought he would be after the time he'd been away, Guy had been trying to repay him for taking that almost fatal blow from the Silver Shadow. Guy had acted like some sort of servant made of a sticky substance once stuck to Kakashi wouldn't let go.

"Don't let the house out of your sight for a single second," Kakashi instructed Iruka before he left. "Any signs of suspicious activity then come and alert me instantly."

Iruka nodded in understanding, and as soon as he reached the house where Syna was then Kakashi got rid of the shadow clones he had left behind. He returned home. The thoughts that were running over in his head, about what Syna could have been hiding and how dangerous it could prove to be for Konoha, threatened to keep him awake. Surprisingly though, he fell asleep within the matter of a few minutes.

* * *

Syna was glad to see Kakashi had finally been smart enough to get someone else to replace him and go home to get some decent sleep. An irritable, grumpy, tired Kakashi was the last thing she needed later today. Plus, when she thought about what she was going to have to teach them, then she knew it was going to take as much energy and concentration that they could all possibly muster.

The sharp feeling that prodded at her mind when she thought about it was ever so fresh: betrayel. She was going to be sharing some of the deepest secrets of the Land of Shadows with these Konoha Leaf Shinobi... secrets that had remained those of the Shadow people for many years. How wrong was it to give these so freely to people who until a day ago didn't even know of their existence?

Still, this was the only way to provide some sort of protection from them as well. The Silver Shadows Syna used to be a part of may have been trained assassins of deadly force, but they had never gone out just to butcher entire towns. What were they doing? Is it possible that the Land of Shadows was raging the beginning of a secret war on the rest of the world? It would be easy when no other country knew who was attacking.

Syna rubbed her collarbone. The small pinpricks, like the sharp stabbing of knife tips against her skin, had begun again. It was less painful than before... the pain had grow so intense she had screamed, which couldn't have been worse because then it had alerted Kakashi. He had come so close to a discovery he really wouldn't have wished to have found out. It was lucky Syna had managed to subdue her pain enough to look more composed... though she had seen doubt in his face about her ever so fake nightmare excuse. She'd have to watch out for Kakashi in the future, he'd be on alert.

She wished to spend time outside in the cool night air. There was a replacement Jonin keeping a guard outside her windows, one she didn't recognise though she remembered his face from the Hokage's office. There was no way that he was just going to let her walk out. Syna almost laughed though. They really had no idea.... their idea of surveillance was most useless against her. She dressed into some of the warmer clothes Kurenai had lent her, pressed her hands together, and the next thing she was standing outside a good two blocks away from the home that was supposed to be on watch in case she tried to escape.

It was a good thing she was only just going to be going for a night walk. The crisp air already caused a relief in the pain that was ripping at her skin. She was going to have to watch herself for a while. Meaning that today's training with the Jonin and ANBU was going to be such a blast... she sighed at the thought, and began off into the night.

* * *

Kakashi had thought he was going to be late when he woke to the sounds of bashing at the door. It was Asuma, telling him that Tsunade had set the time for the training in half an hour. Of the typical knowledge that Kakashi was usually late unless pushed, he had dropped by to make sure Kakashi didn't miss it.

Now Kakashi was here at her house and wondering where exactly Syna was. He had thought he would be late, but this was something he wasn't used too... someone else being later than him!

"Syna?" Kakashi called into the empty window frame. The glass had been cleared out instead of sitting in dangerous jagged pieces hanging limply from the frame, and there was no sign of it on the floor just inside the window. There had been a sheet draped over the frame to stop anyone seeing inside, but he yanked that out the way to see if he could spot Syna.

She had given no reply when he had banged on the door loudly a minute ago. The sun was already rising into the sky, and in another ten minutes was the time Lady Tsunade had designated for the Jonin's training with Syna. That wasn't going to be possible if Syna wasn't there though, and Kakashi couldn't help to feel a jolt or stop a frown forming on his face when she didn't reply to the knocks on the door. He didn't really want to 'break' into the house again, so he waited just outside the empty slot where the window had been last night, and called inside.

Down below Iruka and Guy were waiting. Unfortunately Kakashi had bumped into Guy early this morning, and he had tagged along with him, requesting along the way if there was anything he could do to assist Kakashi. Actually they were checking out the other side of the house to see if Syna was inside the kitchen, but so far there seemed to be not a single sighting of her.

Craning his head, he saw an empty bedroom, with the bed already made up. There was no sign or sound of anyone actually being inside the house, and for a moment he thought maybe Iruka had missed her slipping outside.

He was about to go, when the door directly opposite the window opened. He froze, and so did Syna when she saw him. Suddenly Kakashi knew where Syna had been, and why she hadn't responded. The towel pinned around her body made that much too obvious. His eyes couldn't help but venture to her sternum, where poking out from the top of the towel appear to be some sort of mark, faint but visible.

The next thing Kakashi saw was the knuckles of her fist, accompanied with a cry of "AHHHHHH!" and then a bright white light. After a moment of nothing but the white light, Kakashi then found himself staring up into the blue shade that was the sky.

"Kakashi." He saw Guy and Iruka leaning over the top of him.

Iruka asked, "You okay Kakashi?" He held out a hand to pull Kakashi back up into a dazed sitting position.

"That's one punch the lady has on her," Guy commented with a grin.

Soon enough they were joined by Syna, now fully dressed in what they partially recognised as Kurenai's wardobe. Her long gold hair was now tied up in a bun, but it still dripped, showing that she had tied it up in a hurry.

She eyed Kakashi. "That sheet was up there for a reason. To specifically stop people from peering in the window!"

"I really am sorry," he rubbed his head sheepishly, "I didn't mean for... that. You just weren't replying to us," he said, though he could tell he was still dangerously close to recieving another one of those punches. His nose still hurt now, and the look in Syna's eye was not making him feel much more confident. Wisely he took a step that placed him behind Iruka, and allowed the others to introduce themselves. Then he casually slipped a, "We have to get going though, they're expecting you to be at the training field in a few minutes."

Syna blew a loose strand of hair from her face, "Yes well... with that sort of morning welcome, bring it on." She marched on ahead, "Well then let's go!"

Guy leant in closer to Kakashi as Iruka started to lead Syna to where the training grounds they would use for the day was. He whispered behind his hand, "I think you've hit a spot of woman trouble here."

Kakashi sighed. He was just thinking the exact same thing. He hadn't seen Syna so ticked off before.

They reached the training ground, where the rest of the Jonin had started to gather. Wisely Lady Tsunade had placed members of ANBU on scout of the city so that every Jonin could come to this. They, along with Kakashi who was another memeber of the ANBU as well as a Jonin present here, would recieve another training period this afternoon. Kakashi was here under obligation that Tsunade had asked he keep Syna in his sights.

Syna seemed to be partially at a loss in front of all the Jonin, almost as if she was trying to decide just how she was going to begin. By now the Jonin had been updated on everything Syna had told them, which saved her from that trouble.

"What I am going to show you all is something I must emphasize has been kept a secret from anyone on the outside of the Land of Shadows. It is a skill that only few manage to master, and those who do are the members of the Silver Shadows. It is a difficult technique, but when used with precision then it is difficult to be stopped."

She thought for a moment, then asked, "Can I have a volunteer and something for them to hold to in their hand?"

After a moment Guy stepped forward. Syna smiled at him, and Kakashi tossed Guy one of the bells he had used yesterday with his students. Syna managed to keep an eye roll under control, and as Guy clutched to the bell Syna told him, "I'm going to take that bell off you Guy. Do whatever you want to make sure that I don't get it."

Guy nodded, and wisely the Jonin began to clear to the side so that only the two of them remained in the centre of the training field. They were a couple of feet apart, and Syna sked, "Ready Guy?"

Guy nodded, getting into a stance, "Do your best Syna!" His over cocky grin made her smile.

She nodded, and took a step forward. Guy immediatley bolted backwards quickly, 'til he stood dozens of feet away from her. "You must move faster than that!" he called.

Syna moved forward again, a lot faster than she had before, but Guy was ready for her and bolted back out the way.

They were very nearly at opposite sides of the training field now, at least a good hundred feet and fifty feet between them now. Kakashi could make out Guy's goofy smile. His eyes fell back onto Syna though. He sensed that she hadn't been trying to catch Guy. No, by the satisfaction in her face he thought that it had been her plan the entire time to drive Guy as far away as he could possibly get to her.

One moment Syna was standing there on one side of the training field, looking absolutely relaxed. The next she was gone.

A cry came from Guy, and Kakashi's face snapped from where he watched Syna disappear to where she now had an arm hooked about Guy. One had him pinned, and the other one was now closed about the bell dangling from his fist. She yanked it out of his grip before he had a chance to tell what was going on, before she disappeared again and reappeared out of thin air in the centre of the training field, the bell held out in front of her.

Kakashi wasn't sure what to say. He often performed something of the sort, where Jonins disappear and reppear somewhere else. But this was something quite different. For the Leaf Shinobi it involved a hand sign, and they often left or appeared with a puff of smoke. Syna however had done nothing. She had simply just vanished without a trace and reappeared with the same effect, without the slightest indication of a hand sign or chakra being used.

"That," she called to the Jonin, "Is the reason why the Silver Shadows are some of the most dangerous ninja you will ever face. Their ability to catch you off guard is one of the reasons they are the best. It is a tricky technique to overcome, and what I show you is not a definate way to ensure this will never work on you, but it may provide you with what could be the best defence you may have for this attack."

She smiled, wrist jingling as she tied the bell about it. She reached into her pocket, drawing out something that they all recognised as a headband. Syna firmly tied it around her forehead, allowing the sun to wink against it's clear and unmarked metal surface. "Shall we begin?"

* * *

Tadaa! I wrote this by being sneaky and managing study around free time!!! Yay me!!!

Give me a high five! wooo! Go Kakashi!

By the way.... if I have lots of grammer and spelling errors, FORGIVE ME!!! i'm an impatient cookie when it comes to posting!


	9. Chapter 9

Kakashi: Where is my book? *pokes with stick*

Me: Would you believe atop the tallest mountain in the world?

Kakashi: No.

Me: The deepest trench in the ocean?

Kakashi: No.

Me: Darnnit.... okay.... I hid it...... it's been disguised within a false cover of the book Twilight...

Kakashi: *frozen shock* Oh dear goodness....

Me: mwahahahahahahaha

P.S. Sorry it took me so long to get this up! Exams have been a real mind smasher! Enjoy!

* * *

After seeing what Syna had just done, the other Jonin were a little more reluctant to take a step towards her. Most were still wary of her as a newcomer to the village; they had very little trust for her considering who she had claimed to be, and this didn't exactly deepen their trust in her that she could disappear and reappear to slit their throats before they knew it.

Syna didn't call for another volunteer instantly. She withdrew a kunai from a pouch tied around her hips, twirling it in her fingers before clenching it tightly in her fist. Raising her chin, she spoke loudly and clearly for them all to hear.

"The Silver Shadows have perfected this technique I just showed you. It is deadly, with a very long range of attack. However it requires a vast amount of concentration in order to complete, as well as chakra. The technique I'm going to show you is perfect for picking up on that chakra and exposing the attacker before they reach you. The distance that it gives you of visibility when they approach you is entirely dependant on how you manipulate your own chakra though, something I cannot help you with. I can only show you the technique."

Syna tossed the kunai up in the air. As it approached the peak of it's height some distance in the air, Syna pressed her fingers together in a single jutsu. At first it appeared that nothing had happened, but as Kakashi narrowed his eyes a little he picked up on the slight wave in the air. A slight shimmer. As the kunai came back down just before her, it became all too visible as the light rays reflecting off the metal blade bent at odd angles, streaming out in all sorts of directions until it embedded in the ground at her feet. The shimmering stopped.

"What you need to do is build up chakra is your fists. Unless you've trained for an incredibly long time then your going to need a hand sign, which I'll show you. Once chakra is built up in your hands, you have to focus it to circle you and create a sort of field about you. If a Silver Shadow enters the field you create then they'll become visible. It isin't a guarantee on your safety," she chewed the side of her lip momentarily, "But there is always a possibility it could save you."

Murmurs picked up on the wind around them, but as soon as Syna started talking again they fell silent. One by one she had them split off, teaching them the hand sign like they were young genin again. It felt almost strange, learning a new jutsu. It had been a rather long time since any Jounin, especially the teachers like Kakashi, had ever had to learn how to perform a new jutsu.

Building up chakra in his hands came easily for Kakashi once he had perfected the hand sign. It was the same as building up chakra for his lightning blade, the chidori. The trick part came when he had to focus it to encircle around him.

Soon enough it was early afternoon. He hadn't even realised how much time had passed until he saw the sun had already passed by overhead. Technically their lesson was over, and the Jounin slowly began to disperse with a few mumbled "thank-you's" towards Syna, before soon enough there was no-one in the empty training ground but her and Kakashi. She looked calm and composed as a slight breeze ruffled a few strands of hair from her bun. She took one look at Kakashi when he walked towards her, throwing him one of the nastiest eye glances she could. Guess she was still sore about that whole 'peeping-tom' misunderstanding this morning.

"You know you look like you just got dragged back through a bush," she told him.

"I feel I am hardly able to help that," he replied as he strode over to where she stood, hands folded neatly across her chest. Her eyes followed him, and he felt the strange sensation that he should watch out for his nose again.

"Actually I think it's an improvement," she chuckled. "The rest of you matches your hair."

"What's wrong with my hair?" Why did they always attack the hair? It was always the hair and the mask with woman. Sometimes he couldn't help feeling a little defensive about it.

She clapped him on the shoulder, "Nothing at all. Now come on, I'm starving and I want a break before more forced labour."

Syna had started to walk away from the training field. Kakashi sighed, and made movements to catch up with her stride. She was absently staring off into the trees, maintaining a silent atmosphere, until suddenly she cut it off, "Yes Kakashi."

"Hm?"

She turned her eyes on him. "I am still mad about this morning."

"Ah." He was going to actually ask her about that. Though it had been accidental, she seriously had not taken it all too well.

Grinning, she kicked a loose stone out of her way, "Yes, ah. Don't worry though, I completley understand it was an accident."

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Still--"

Syna gave him a devilish grin and disappeared. Kakashi froze. Why did he not feel so comfortable anymore?

The explosion struck before he had time to do anything about it. It would have been practically impossible for him to do anything about it anyway. The paper bomb didn't come flying at him from any angle. It exploded right behind him, on the back of his shoulder where it had been somehow attached without his noticement. There was a slight ringing in his ears, before a blue smoke cloud surrounded Kakashi and threw him to the ground. It wasn't strong enough to injure him, but the shock of it certainly knocked him off his feet in a billowing cloud of blue smoke, which hugged to him and the air around him tightly for a while until the wind picked it up and began to diffuse it into thin wisps.

Kakashi hacked a little, coughing some of the blue smoke out of his lungs as he got back to his feet. His senses had returned, and he hadn't been injured at all by the explosion.

He turned to the sound of laughter, seeing Syna standing now only a few feet away again, having returned when the area was safe from the blast. "I love that kid Naruto," she declared to him. "He has the strangest items in the deep depths of his pockets."

_Naruto?_ Kakashi froze. _Naruto!_

He looked down at his hands in front of him, and was instantly greeted with a sight he was fearing to see. He was covered in the same blue hue as the smoke from the paper bomb that Syna must have attached when she clapped him on the shoulder. It wasn't just his clothes that were now stained. He knew the paper bomb she must have obtained from his cheeky prankster student, and knew full well it was likely to take days to scrub the blue from his skin.

With one hand on her hip, she leaned forward to poke him in the chest, "Now it feels like we're even for this morning." Tilting her head to the side a little, she grinned mischieviously. "You look so dashing in blue."

He didn't even have an answer for her; only his shoulders slumping and head falling forward in an resigned accept of deserved punishment answered as a reply. The worst part of it was he didn't even know how she managed to get one of Naruto's paper paint bombs! Surely she hadn't managed to get one in the time between this morning and now from him... and the only other way was that she had been carrying one that he had given her since yesterday. He decided from now on he would forbid his students from using the paper paint bombs again...

Syna was chuckling to herself, trying not to break down in hysterics. Kakashi dreaded the moment he would have to look in a mirror to assess the full amount of damage. Stifling another laugh behind her hand, she asked, "Would you like to make a stop off anywhere so you can clean up before anyone sees you?"

"If you wouldn't mind."

Syna laughed, and with a giant grin plastered on her face she held out an arm, letting him lead the way out of the training ground with her following close on his blue heels.

* * *

Less than an hour later they were standing again just outside the training ground. The sun was slumped even further into the horizon. Another hour or so and it would start it's descent behind the horizon.

Kakashi, now in fresh clothes that weren't blue (though the visible skin that had been caught by the blast was still a nice light shade of blue, as was his hair) stepped out into the open on the training field first. "The ANBU should be here soon."

"Yay." Syna had been slightly disheartened after discovering the fact that Kakashi only seemed to have instant ramen for her to tackle into at his apartment. The only thing that seemed to cheer her back up again after such a disappointment was when he had reappeared after half an hour of scrubbing with the failed attempt to rid the blue in his skin.

Kakashi paused for a moment, waiting in the low rays of the sun to see if he could spot any of the ANBU members. They should be here right about now.

A slight haze of movement alerted him to their presence. He looked back to Syna, who was leaning against a tree in the shade of it's thick foilage and waiting for him to tell her to do something. Her gaze was of a relaxed and carefree expression that most would think meant she was just waiting for something to happen. Her eyes however were sharp, and probarbly meant she had noticed the slight haze as well.

"Walk out into the field. The ANBU will meet you out there."

"And you?" she asked when Kakashi turned to head in the direction opposite of the training ground.

"I'll still be watching."

She grinned. "From the shadows so no-one sees that lovely new blue coat?"

Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle himself. "It will make the others too jealous." She grinned, and left him so she could walk out into the centre of the training ground. He waited until she was a decent distance away, before the shadow clone that she had just been talking to slunk against a tree and fell into a restful disuse. The real Kakashi had already been waiting for Syna and his clone to appear, hidden amongst the trees on the opposite end of the grounds alongside other ANBU. Quietly they had waited pressed into the shadows of the trees or lying low in the shrubbery, their thick black coats shrouding them with extra cover. Lady Tsunade had firmly expressed that she wished for none of the ANBU to reveal their identity to Syna at any point; and that most assuredly included Kakashi. So before leaving the apartment he had substitued himself for a clone, allowing himself to appear in normal clothes with Syna while the real him was waiting in full ANBU gear.

As soon as Syna stepped into the centre of the field she tilted her head up. She knew they were there. The earlier haze of movement had alerted her to their presence, and soon enough this was confirmed as they settled down gently in a cricle around her.

"I guess I should just get straight into the lesson." She pulled a stray hair back out of her face, and continued, "I understand all of you would have been present this morning, so I shan't bother to teach the technique to you again. I'm going to show you something different. A technique that all but 'S' rank and ANBU level shinobi would find impossible. So I will stress the importance of this technique."

They braced as she slammed her hands together, forming a familiar handsign. With a puff of smoke there was soon two of her standing in the centre of the black cloaked circle. Her, and a clone, though it was near impossible from a glance to tell which was which.

"I want you all to throw as many kunai at both of us as you can," ordered the Syna on the left.

The Syna on the right added, "Do not stop until I command you to. Whatever happens, you do not stop until you are told to. Understand?"

The ANBU bobbed their heads in a signal of understanding, and readied themselves with kunai in their hands. Both Syna stood in the centre of the circle, both calm and composed with closed eyes. The ANBU braced ready for their movement to avoid the attack, eyes sharp for anything.

"Begin!" Syna ordered.

The barrage of kunai plunged straight at both clones. However after the first round of kunai had been thrown, it became obvious that neither of the two in the centre were going to go anywhere. They made only slight body movements to avoid direct strikes into the head, heart or vital areas of the body. However the rest of the kunai bit deeply into the skin, sinking through the flesh and drawing blood across her stomach, legs, arms, shoulders, back and anywhere else she let them strike.

The stangest thing was that both of the Syna's in the centre of the circle were bleeding, each from a number of different wounds, none identical in placement. One of them had to obviously be a clone, but now they were uncertain of which it may be. Surely the clone would have by now disappeared, as they usually did when struck. However both stood impossibly still and real. The ANBU ceased their attack, unsure of what to do. If they continued then there was the chance that they may kill the real one of the two.

"I told you not to stop until I told you! Continue!" one of the Syna's yelled.

They hesitated for a moment, before they drew out more kunai. They were ANBU; specially trained as assassins not to think about things twice, and to take action where others wouldn't. Most other shinobi would have declined to continue at injuring a fellow shinobi like this, even at their own command. Kakashi however, hidden in the midst of the others, felt a great sense of reluctance. Sure he had been given an order to kill her by the Hokage if needed, but that didn't mean that he wanted to. Especially not like this. He aimed again, with the great accuracy into the ground at her feet instead of for her when they began to fire again.

After continuous rounds of kunai biting deeply into both figures before them, one of the Syna's finally held up her hand. "Okay! Enough!"

The attacks ceased instantly, and Syna dropped her hand. Both of them were breathing heavily, bleeding from more wounds than possible to count. The blood loss made both of them pale, and desperatley fragile looking. In all honesty, it seemed like neither of them would live for very long, both clone and the real Syna.

The Syna on the left huffed, standing a little more straight. "Good job. I needed both me and clone to be injured, in order to emphasise this technique to you. It could alter the tide of a battle."

She pressed her hands together. This time the hand sign she performed was unfamiliar, and so fast that even Kakashi's trained eyes for speed had difficulty following her hands. Pressing them tightly together, a sharp crack appeared in the centre of her hands. It was a thin light mist that surrounded her alike to the ANBU's black cloaks. They watched, seeing the thin spray coat her in the opaque mist. What happened next was almost unbelievable. The blood from every single one of her wounds seemed to seep away from her body and into the mist, tinging it a deep red. As each wound began to disappear, more of them began to appear on the second Syna, now recognised as the clone. The new wounds were exactly the same as the ones that disappeared on the real Syna.

When the mist finally dropped away, Syna stood before them as healthy as she had been when she stepped out onto the training ground less than ten minutes ago. Her almost mutilated clone disappeared with a puff of smoke.

"That technique is another reason the Silver Shadows are so difficult to defeat. They use up to three clones in a battle, and each can sustain injuries to give a false impression of being the real person. Meanwhile when the real person themselves becomes too injured, they transfer their injuries to their clone and it disappers."

Syna's eyes flashed, "However, they can only use three at a time, and once one has been used in a battle then it cannot be recalled. The chakra it uses is immense, so Silver Shadows favour avoiding the use of their clones if they can help it. But if they sense that they are in danger in a battle and use a clone, they can become almost unstoppable."

She pressed her palms together, and another clone appeared in a puff of smoke. "Of course, there are some limits. If you strike the original enemy in a fatal area, such as the heart, neck or head, then they will be stopped. The matter is knowing which is the clone or not. There is a way for you as ANBU to recognise which are the clones, and which is the real enemy."

Performing yet another unfamiliar hand jutsu, she raised her hand towards the clone. A faint glimmer began to surround the clone, the slight haze of a greenish colour. "The clones give off a faint amount of chakra, which if you use this technique makes it visible for the rest of the time it remains called forward. This technique may save both you and other shinobi."

She folded her hands across her chest, "However I must express how much chakra this technique uses, and how extremley difficult it is to control. There is no way a normal shinobi can control the chakra in order to perform the technique, which is why I am showing it to you. It may be up to you to help keep the others alive."

Devilishly she grinned, with the custom humour that seemed typical of her as Kakashi had learnt since first meeting her. "Now just make sure you guys don't tire yourselves out too much. After all.... I think Lady Tsunade has arranged for this training again tomorrow. Now let's begin."

* * *

It was late into the night, at least three hours after sunset when they finally called it a night. Most of the ANBU members had completley depleted their chakra in practising the new technique, and so far there had been very limited results. It was obvious the amount of training that would be necessary for them to perfect the technique. Secretly both Kakashi's alertness about Syna for her chakra level, and respect for her control of it, had severley increased.

He left with the other ANBU members, letting his clone collect Syna.

She greeted his clone with a bright big grin. "Hello blue bell!"

He pouted visibly behind the mask. "Did you treat the ANBU well?"

"Like they were on a tropical relaxing holiday. Now I'm starving, so escort me to a meal if you please."

Kakashi smirked, "Only if you cook. I'm afraid I will not go out in my current condition."

"Gee I didn't realise you were so self conscious. Okay okay. I'll cook... as long as it isin't instant ramen!"

"We have a deal."

"Good for you blue bell."

* * *

It was late at night. Dawn would be in another four hours. Kakashi had taken the second shift of the night after Iruka, who had seemed the most reasonable choice to ask that wouldn't laugh in hysterics when Kakashi approached him in his current condition. Though Iruka had barely managed to stifle a few girlish giggles, he had agreed to take first watch.

Kakashi was now leaning in the shadows of the tree outside Syna's house. There was little movement, and at somepoint during the day someone had come to fix the glass window that he had shattered last night. Though it was opened slightly, purely as a fact to spite Kakashi after another of his 'break-ins' he believed.

It seemed like nothing would happen at all that night. The calm cool night air was light against whatever of Kakashi's skin wasn't covered, and his temporarily blue hair was gently ruffled in the breeze. He was almost calm, when he felt the sharp trigger of chakra prod against him and he jerked up into a standing position. This could only mean one thing.

Earlier that night he had set up a silent chakra barrier to surround the house. Almost undetecable unless you knew it was up, invisible and sensitive if someone were to cross the barrier. After what he had seen today, especially the ability Syna had to instantly trasport herself without detection, Kakashi wasn't as naive as last night to not leave some sort of barrier around her house. She could have easily snuck out last night and escaped from the village, and he cursed the fact he had so underestimated her. Tonight he wouldn't make a slip up like leaving her the ability for escape.

The trigger that had been set off signalled to him that indeed she had tried to pull a fast one and escape the home without noticement. The barried held a grip on her for another two hundred feet, relocating her a few rooftops away. She was easy to find, not bothering to cloak herself since she thought she had escaped from his hawk view. It was definately her, the golden waves reflecting the silver moonlight. Instantly he was on her tail like a shadow, leaving behind more clones just in case this itself was a clone.

He followed her, keeping in the darkness. She didn't notice him, continuing forward back to the training grounds beside the forest surrounding Konoha. It was an easy area for escape, or even to meet up with secret infiltraters to the village. Kakashi frowned as he tailed her. This was definately suspicious, especially after a day where she had basically depleted majority of their best and strongest fighters of the village in order to teach them new techniques. If she was a spy... then now would have been the perfect time that she would iniciate an outside attack.

Kakashi reached into his pocket, drawing out a kunai. Well if it came to it... tonight might be the night he killed her.

_______

TADAAA! I know it took ages, but I had exams, and all that jazz..... so forgive me? Please?

I give you virtual cookie if you review!


	10. Chapter 10

~~ Proper Update ~~ I have a computer again, and have retyped my chapters yay! My other laptop with all of this story on it got stolen a while ago.... by a very clever theif who thought to sneak in through an open window with my grandmother sitting only ten feet away with only a shut door between them.... *sigh* but i have my lifeline (aka computer) back again! some would call that sad.... not me!!!

thanks those who have put up with the wait for these chapters lol, i know it's such a pain ain't it? I promise I'm going to give you all a big thankyou at the very end of this story, to celebrate!

Also thanks heaps to those who messaged me, and especially Sayuri Kurosaki Uchiha Hatake, because she has edited my chapters and I owe her a million hugs and debts of gratitude! Everyone run to her with open arms and a hundred billion cookies!!

~~ other update ~~

We last left Kakashi I believe searching for his book, which I have hidden beneath a cover of the book Twilight.... let us see how he has done

News Reporter: And here we see a crowd of angry teenage girls, all rushing to be the first one to take down this crazy silver haired man. He began to rampage through books stores, ripping off the covers to the popular series Twilight... Oh dear! It looks like they have got him in a net... and now they are proceeding to beat him with sticks!

....... I'll update you on Kakashi later.... he needs saving right now.... teenage girls on rampages are far worse than even the strongest ninja are they not? :P

* * *

Kakashi followed behind Syna as she made her way across the top of the buildings, maintaining a reasonable distance behind her so she wouldn't be alerted to his presence. At this rate it didn't seem like she knew he was following, which was a good thing..

Syna was heading towards the training grounds that they had been using earlier. The ones that were surrounded by thousands of acres of nothing but forest, and could easily hide any enemies intent on a sudden attack. Kakashi was sure to leave a few clones behind in the village as he followed the dark figure that was Syna, scaling the cliff wall as a shortcut to the grounds. If there was any sort of sign of trouble, those clones would alert every single ANBU and Jounin in the village to come after them.

He trailed her through the treetops as she sprinted along the ground below, keeping as silent as a ghost to her footsteps. They passed across the training grounds, slipping into the darkened cover of the trees on the opposite side of the clearing. Kakashi made sure not to let her escape from his sight as they continued deeper and deeper inside the trees.

Syna finally pulled to a stop when another clearing began to open out before them. The trees closed in, darkened jail bars to her lone small figure inside the empty space. The night sky lazily gazed down from above, stars winking slightly when she tilted her head up to them.

Kakashi crouched low behind a tree, hidden by a thick stout bush and the fact her back was turned to him. He tensed into a ready position for an attack, kunai already clutched tightly in his hands.

For a minute Syna only stood, her eyes gazing intently up at the stars that winked so innocently and without care to those far below. Then she suddenly jerked, letting loose a piercing scream that just about caught Kakashi off guard. Her legs gave out beneath her, and she fell to her hands and knees in a doubled over position that continued to jerk as if jolts of electricity were coursing through her veins. Through clenched teeth she drew shaky breaths, drawing herself back to a kneeling position so she could draw her hands back to her chest.

Watching intently from his hiding place in the trees, Kakashi noted the hand sign she performed. It wasn't one he recognized. His eyes narrowed as Syna pressed both her palms to the ground in front of her, threads of light snaking from between her fingers. They spread out like live creatures, clawing their way across the ground and spiraling around the trees that were closest to the edge of the clearing. Kakashi had to leap back so the light wouldn't illuminate the area he was currently hiding in.

Syna gave a momentary scream, and in that instant everything in the snaking reach of the threads of light collapsed in on itself. The trees that had the light spiraling up and clutching tightly to their trunks gave way, their leaves and bark turning a sickly grey color before they tumbled to the ground. Dust clouds billowed up, streaks of the light still poking their way through from the centre of the clearing. As the dust settled in a thick blanket across the ground again, the light vanished, leaving only the stars and moonlight from above to illuminate the clearing once more.

Standing shakily, Kakashi saw Syna press her hand to her chest momentarily, before turning her head to see the damage surrounding her. The ground on which she stood was cracked, split wide open as if the earth itself had heaved up and collapsed again, while the surrounding forest to a certain extent was dead, the greenery collapsed and empty like old skeletons left for years from the once mighty things they had been. Every inch of the wasteland the clearing now was had become a grey color, as if all the life in it had just been sucked clean out. Kakashi frowned. Maybe that was exactly what she had just done. It was a chakra he had never seen, or ever heard of, before. It was powerful, and destructive.

He stood. After jumping back out he way in order to avoid being caught by the force of whatever chakra it had been, he had ended up hidden within the thick growth of a shrub. Even the slight noise he created jerked Syna's head around towards where he was. "Who's there?!" she demanded.

Kakashi disappeared and reappeared in one of his lazy styles right behind her. "I should ask you the same thing."

Syna sharply faced him with a jump, and then sighed. "Gees blue bell," she stuck her hand on her heart, "Give me a heart attack why don't you?"

He only narrowed his visible eye, "I should do more than that. Explain to me why you are out here." His eye swept across the grey surroundings, "And what chakra you just used."

She only put her hands on her hips, sighing dramatically, "Look Kakashi, face facts. If I wanted to escape I would have done so. You've also seen that if I wanted to kill any of you I probably would have managed to take a few of you down by now as well. You don't need to look at me like I'm suddenly going to leap out and bite you."

That was true. She could have likely killed them all by now if she had wanted to. "Then why are you out here after sneaking out by yourself?" He eyed his surroundings, not even needing to state _'You also made one hell of a mess here.'_ It seemed pretty much implied by the arch of his eyebrow.

Syna sighed. "None of you would have understood and let me out here. But after using a reasonable amount of chakra, I need to replace it quickly or it takes a nasty toll on me." She folded her arms across her chest, "You can remember how you found me last night. _That _is what happens if I don't start to replenish my chakra. To accomplish that means I need to draw out energy from everything surrounding me, and," she gestured to her surroundings, "I doubt you guys would think highly of me if I did that in the middle of the village."

He continued to stare at her, and she rolled her eyes, sticking out her hands, "Look, tie my hands up and shove me in a cell somewhere in the village under constant watch if it makes you feel any better." She grinned, "Restore a little pride for yourself, huh blue bell?"

Standing for a moment, Kakashi sighed himself, putting his hands in his pockets, "You are nearly as impossible as my students."

"Wrong. I'm _far_ worse.. _I _am allowed near the sake."

"Not on my watch," he answered. "Now if you please, accompany me back to the village."

Syna nodded her head, "I'm coming." Pausing beside Kakashi, she smiled, "Thanks for not killing me when I snuck out."

"I am still in debt with my life to you," he answered, "Please do not do something like this again. It may give me no choice than to carry out the Hokage's orders."

She mocked a salute. "I'll always let you know in the future then if I'm going to sneak out."

The trip back to the village was slower than the one out of it, as they leisurely wandered back together at a walking pace. Soon enough they were navigating the alleyways of Konoha, all deserted at this early hour of the morning.

"Syna," Kakashi asked, breaking the silence that had enclosed itself around them. When he saw her tilt her head a little to show she was listening, he faced her. "You said you were forced to flee the Land of Shadows, and if the Silver Shadows knew who you were then they would not underestimate you. Why is this?"

Even though most of the moonlight was eclipsed by clouds that were starting to roll in over the moon above, he saw Syna bite down on her lip. "I would rather not talk about it."

"You understand that it doesn't place you in the best position, an answer like that."

She laughed, coldly without humor, "Kakashi trust me. Whatever answer I give you will place me under suspicion." She mused to herself aloud, "Though I must admit, it seems something has gone drastically wrong in my absence. It must be Ryusak's replacement."

"Ryusak?"

Syna looked back towards him, "Ryusak was the leader of the Land of Shadows, same as Lady Tsunade." Her tone in voice changed, "But he was also my brother, and when I had to leave the Land of Shadows he wouldn't let me leave without him. He faked our deaths before fleeing with me. I don't know who would have replaced him. Whoever it is though, I can't understand why they are getting the Silver Shadows to attack outside of the Land."

Kakashi took a moment to process this, and then asked, "What if Ryusak returns to the Land of Shadows?"

"He cannot. He's dead."

The matter-of-fact tone of her voice, unhindered by any sort of grief or sorrow, caught Kakashi by surprise. Syna noticed this, and stated, "It must seem cold, and how plainly I put it. I do not allow myself to sound grieved over his death. It would be an insult to him, when it is my fault he is dead."

Kakashi remembered the clothes she had given him to wear after his own had basically been destroyed, and how she had been glad to be rid of them. Memories were easier to forget when there was little to remind you of them.

"I have another question." When she faced him to show she was paying attention, he asked, "That mark. Don't pretend you don't know what I'm speaking of, because I clearly saw it. What is it?"

Syna glared at him, "You really shouldn't have seen it. You only did because you broke into the house at the wrong time."

"I didn't break in, I was outside the window. And you haven't answered my question."

She sighed, "It's just a tattoo, the mark of the Silver Shadows. Nothing more than that, it's just to symbolize your one of its members. The same as your ANBU."

Kakashi couldn't be sure if that was the truth, but that was as much as she was going to say at this moment in time, so pressing for more information would be pointless. He knew she was right about the tattoo symbol of ANBU at least.

By this stage they had reached Syna's apartment. There came a familiar buzz as they passed back through the chakra barrier, though only Kakashi felt it. Syna left Kakashi standing on the street, pushing open the door that she had never bothered to lock. Then she paused, "Kakashi, can I request something of you?"

"If it's sake, no."

From his position he could see the corners of her mouth tilt upwards a little, "No, not that. It may sound a little pointless to ask, but I want your word Kakashi that you will carry out this request."

"It depends what you will ask."

She was silent for a moment, her back still facing him. "I know Lady Tsunade has asked you to kill me if I appear to consciously pose a threat to the village. Believe me or not, I would never do such a thing." She turned her head, facing him over her shoulder, "But there may be a time where **_I_** tell you to kill me. If I ever do this Kakashi, I want your word that you will do so."

Momentarily he was lost for words, before frowning, "Syna, why would _you_ ask that?"

"Promise me Kakashi!" she yelled at him, anger in her voice all of a sudden as she tensed. (or you could use 'She asked Angrily)

Kakashi's fingers clenched in fists, and he stiffly nodded. Her shoulders relaxed again, and she turned her head away back to the door. Quietly, almost so softly that even Kakashi couldn't hear her, she said, "I ask you this Kakashi, because I don't want to put this village in any more danger than it is already in." Resting her hand against the door, she sighed. "The real reason I had to leave the Land of Shadows is because of a terrible mistake we all made, and for that reason I became too dangerous for even the Silver Shadows. They wanted me dead, because I was the only one who could stop them. Those who are around me have died." (or will die. Depending what you want to use)

She stepped through the door, leaving him standing outside on the street. With a final glance at him, she then closed the door on him. As soon as he was gone from her view, Syna's back met the hard wood of the door as she slid down into a crumpled and defeated position on the floor.

Rubbing her hand against her sternum, she felt the cool difference of skin between her normal skin and the mark. The mark of a mistake made years ago, that had cost many people, including all that she had loved dearly, their lives and thrown her into a life of isolation for the sake of all others. Her fingers clenched on the skin, nails digging down deeply though not enough to break through the skin. Though **_she_** was currently nowhere near her at this moment, Syna couldn't help but hiss with all the venom and hate she could possibly muster to the one responsible for all this, "I. Hate. You."

* * *

Kakashi had Iruka take charge of watching over Syna while he went to patch things up with his students this morning. Unintentionally he had forgotten all about his training lesson with them yesterday due to the session with the Jounin, and had sent them a hasty message to reschedule for early this morning. Needless to say they were not going to be happy.

By the time he returned to Syna's to collect her for the training session arranged by Lady Tsunade for the Jounin, Kakashi was already pretty drained. Not chakra wise, but definitely stress level. He had been correct in assuming that the three of his younger genin would hack into him for forgetting about them (they had not been oblivious to the fact he had forgotten them, though he tried to claim otherwise that something important had come up), and spent the last couple of hours in hard training with them. Well it had been harder for them. He had used the bell exercise again, and by the end of it the three genin were breathing heavily and close to collapsing from chakra deprivation and exhaustion.

It could have been worse. Most of their yelling had been stifled by the fact that he had been unable to hide his visible blue skin or hair, which had caused them no end to amusement. Naruto even had the guts to declare that he thought Syna as the best girlfriend his sensei could have, to which Kakashi had sighed and tried to explain thoroughly how she was _not _his girlfriend before it could escalate with the little blonde kid. Though Kakashi had instantly rounded it onto Naruto, who sheepishly drew back as soon his sensai had glared at him and announced that Syna had betrayed the fact it was Naruto who had given her the blue paint bomb ammo. Thus the reason why Kakashi had insisted that any of the students who did not capture a bell off a fellow team mate during their sparring match would face the wrath of another paint bomb he had obtained that morning, and why Naruto would not want to show his face (or hair) for a few days.

While waiting for Syna to appear at the door, he stood waiting outside on the street reading his precious "Come Come Paradise" books. He felt deprived, considering how he couldn't remember the last time he had read them.

Syna had greeted Kakashi that morning like nothing was wrong at all in the world, skipping down the stairs, "Morning blue bell. I see we are going to face the other Jounin with a brave blue face today!"

"I don't really have any other choice," Kakashi said, closing his book with his thumb still caught in the page he had been reading. Immediately she homed in on it.

"What are you reading?"

"Hmm?" He glanced at his book, and the exact page his thumb was now creating an indent inside. "Uh nothing. Documents for a D-Rank mission my students are being assigned to."

Syna raised an eyebrow and suddenly disappeared. The moment she was gone from view Kakashi felt his book suddenly leave his fingers. Spinning, he found Syna staring at the cover, "Uh-huh, thought so." She waved it in his face, "Now what is this?"

"A book," he said. "My book to be precise."

"Huh, I really didn't picture you as the type for reading," Syna said, flicking open the pages. Her eyes widened and she shoved it back at him, "Then again, I've been wrong about people before." Once it had been safely retrieved and whisked away into his pocket, Syna had already carried on ahead, calling back over her shoulder, "Hurry up blue bell, we're going to be late."

Kakashi sighed, not bothering to tell her they already were late. She had been expecting him to fetch her on time, but following his usual tradition they were about half an hour late. It was better than usual. Besides, the others would be more amused by his current appearance to tell him off for being late like normal.

Which they most certainly were. Asuma had spotted them first when they walked out into the open field that was occupied by the Jounin, dotted in groups across the grounds and each looking clearly bored. "Kakashi, you're late again!" Said ninja avoided the glare he received from Syna while at the same time ignoring the stares he was receiving.

Guy wasn't helping matters, striding over and pointing a finger at Kakashi. "Kakashi, you seem to be trying a new look. Blue isn't quite your color my friend."

"Guy!" Syna exclaimed in a happy voice, throwing her hands out in front of her with a huge smile. "Kakashi was just telling me on the way over here that he thinks so highly of your amazing learning abilities!"

Guy threw her a giant flashy grin, his shiny teeth winking in the sunlight and a large thumb stuck up, "Well he would be correct. My abilities are amazing!"

"Oh great!" Syna grinned, a slight wicked side to her smile as she drew out a bell from her pocket. "So then I guess you get to be first to test out the technique!"

Guy's face fell drastically, causing Kakashi to smirk behind his mask. Syna was still smiling cheerfully as she tossed the bell to Guy, who tied it around his wrist quickly. "Ready?"

"Always ready!"

"Go."

Guy quickly performed the hand jutsu, and a slight haze appeared around him. The ground around him shimmered, the odd angles of light appearing.

"That's great progress for one day!" Syna called to him. She put her hands on her hips, calling out, "Whose next?"

"Don't you have to get the bell off him first?" Asuma asked, chewing on the cigar in his mouth.

Syna slyly grinned, and held up one of her hands. A bell was loosely dangled around her fingertips, "I already retrieved it." She pressed a finger to her lips, "Shh, don't tell him yet. Let's see how he does." She then yelled out a little louder, "Keep it up Guy! Feed a little more chakra into it, and when I think it will work I'll come for the bell!"

"Okay! Watch and be amazed!" Guy grunted, a vein pulsing in his forehead as he fed in more chakra.

"Let's leave him there for a little shall we?" Syna asked Kakashi and Asuma. "It will be good practice for him." She stared at Guy for a moment, "And it is incredibly amusing."

Whipping a few kunai from the pouch slung at her hip, she faced the other Jounin, "Alright then." She swung them round her fingertips before regrouping them tightly between each finger, poised ready and waiting. "Let's see how good you Leaf Shinobi really are."

* * *

Lol I'm going to be ever so good to make up for how long it took me to update, and I will post another chapter now! Don't go anywhere :P

*throws out cookies as bribery*


	11. Chapter 11

I want to take time again to thank Sayuri Kurosaki Uchiha Hatake for editing this chapter! give her more cookies and hugs for being such a superstar!

And returning to Kakashi...

Mob of fangirls: *still attacking Kakashi with sticks*

Me: Haha Kakashi! You are no match for teenaged girls who are addicted to Twilight! MWahahaha surrender!

Kakashi: Never! For the life of my book, never!

Me: Girls, attack!

Kakashi: AHHHHH!

News Reporter: It looks like... yes, it is! The teenaged girls look like they are strapping the silver haired man to a rocket and are setting light the fuse.... I do feel sorry for this man who dared to cross Twilight.... No wait! He broke free!

Me: oh darn... *runs and hides in mob*

* * *

Nearly two weeks had passed since Syna had first begun to instruct the Jounin and ANBU of Konoha how to protect their village from their unseen enemy. In that time they had made unbelievable progress. Both Jounin and ANBU had accomplished the techniques Syna had taught them to the extent they wouldn't enter battle with a disadvantage. However they were still far from perfect, but there was never going to be enough time for them to perform the techniques with no flaws.

In the time Syna had been in the village there had been no trace of the Silver Shadows. Not even the faintest whisper of attacks outside in nearby towns reached their ears. If they were indeed in the area then they were remaining deathly quiet. After the two weeks of silence, a time period in which the Silver Shadows certainly would have made it to the village if they had been inclined to, Lady Tsunade had finally issued instruction to allow free days between training sessions so that Jounin could still carry out the other missions they were called upon for. The high risk red alert seemed to have been removed.

Yesterday had been the first of a free day with no training scheduled, as was today. There was another scheduled for tomorrow, which would allow plenty of time for the Jounin and ANBU to relax a little now that the high risk period had passed. After the large amount of chakra they had strained themselves into using over the last weeks, this was most definitely welcome.

Kakashi was yet again with Syna. She had forced him to take her out sight-seeing of the city yet again, which was severely cutting into the free time he finally had for his books. When he pointed that out to her she had threatened to take a kunai to them until he came outside. By now he knew she was serious, and was now limited to a single book in his pocket while she dragged him around the same old sites of Konoha.

Currently they were standing atop the mountain where the faces of the Konoha Hokage had been carved into the rock surface. It was incredibly sunny, and Syna enjoyed basking rays of light while a light breeze whipped her and Kakashi's finally non-blue hair about.

Kakashi had his nose inside a book, but he had hardly read a page of it since they had been up here, which was unusual for him. Instead he watched Syna from over the top of the pages. She looked carefree, beaming widely into the sunlight like it was the first time she had ever seen light before. It was hard to imagine that someone who looked so innocent could really be such a threat. Seeing her smile like that as she gazed out over Konoha, blissful and happy, Kakashi could only wish from the very bottom of his heart that he would never have to carry out something as terrible as to kill her.

He had killed people before; it was nothing new or distressing for him. However something about Syna just made Kakashi feel like he just wouldn't be able to carry through with it. She was just too happy and kind, and it seemed wrong to assume that such a beautiful woman of her personality would ever turn against them after all she had done. He had grown used to seeing her every day, like an old friend.

Kakashi then mentally tripped over himself. He was a Jounin, assigned to take her out if he was forced to. He should not be thinking of her as a friend when she could send out a potential and incredibly deadly enemy. Truthfully he knew very little about her past, or the real reason she was forced to leave. She had performed only a few justu's, but from the few rare occasions she used visible chakra it was nothing but strong, high level power. Kakashi could only guess at the full extent of her chakra.

"Blue bell." Though he was no longer blue, the name Syna had given him had stuck. She leant them back "I have a question to ask."

"Hm?" Kakashi pretended as if he had been paying very little attention to her.

"Drag you eyes off the pervy book for a moment would you?"

His reluctantly pulled his nose from within the pages of the book, "Yes?"

She rolled her eyes, before her face became more serious, "The town the Silver Shadows attacked. Was there anything unusual about that town? Anything at all?"

"As far as I'm aware, there was nothing unusual at all. They attacked it from completely out of nowhere."

Her eyes darkened, and she pinched her chin between a forefinger and thumb in thought. "The Silver Shadows are lethal weapons, they don't act without reason. They have to be looking for something... something of significant value that they know for sure is in this area about Konoha. But what could be worth leaving the Land of Shadows?"

Kakashi shut his book and slid it back into his pocket. "Could they be looking for you?"

Syna shook her head, "No. I made sure they think I'm dead, and if they knew I was alive then they wouldn't wait this long to come after me to kill me. There's something else."

Peering up at the midday sun, Kakashi sighed as he slid his hands into his pockets. "Come on. I promised my students I would buy them a lunch of ramen."

"You seem to have to promise them ramen at least three times each week. What do you do every morning to arrive so late?"

"I always get lost on the road of life."

"Does that one work on your students?"

"Not really."

The three students were already waiting for them outside the now all too familiar ramen shop. Of course the first ones to skip out and greet the two were both Sakura and Naruto, who had grown quite used to seeing Syna appear everywhere with Kakashi. However they always had such different methods of how they would greet them.

"Kakashi-sensai! Syna!" Sakura was waving to them, "Did you have fun on your 'tour' of the city?" Her voice was sly and sweet. Somehow all of Kakashi's students had become convinced the two were dating, and that was the reason they spent almost every moment near each other during the day. After two weeks both were near giving up on denying it.

"Where the heck have you two been!? You owe us ramen Kakashi-sensei after ditching us for three hours yesterday!" Naruto yelled, his arms flailing about and a pout on his face.

"Just sightseeing. I'd never realized before how beautiful Konoha really is," Syna answered with a grin.

"Sightseeing, huh. Sure. Now come on Kakashi-sensei, I'm starving!" The blonde kid had already disappeared inside the shop, and calling from inside, "I could eat a year's worth of ramen!"

"These kids are going to make me broke," Kakashi sighed.

Syna grinned, "This should be an excellent time to start rethinking your time management skills." She entered into the ramen shop, filling the empty seat between Naruto and Sasuke. The blonde kid was already homing in on a bowl of ramen, while Sasuke calmly ate his. The dark haired, too-quiet boy had finally seemed to accept Syna, and though he was as withdrawn with her as the others, he no longer glared at her from the corner of her eye.

They finished their meal a good hour later. Naruto had been the only one who continued to eat past twenty minutes. Really it was amazing that he found room for it all. Syna felt rather sorry for Kakashi, knowing that his student was costing him towards the dearer side of a small fortune. So using the money she had been earning from the Hokage's office, after spending so much time training the Jounin and ANBU, Syna helped pay for the majority of the bill. After Kakashi had paid for her the first few days, it was sort of like paying off a debt... that a short kid with sunshine hair and an over boisterous attitude had been responsible for.

"Ahh that was good. All I need now is to lie down and sleep this off," Naruto said, patting his belly in content happiness.

"Where do you fit it all?" Syna asked, reaching down and poking him. "You're going to become the biggest ninja at this rate."

"It would make up for the empty space in his head," Sasuke calmly stated in a monotonous voice. Naruto immediately spun and pointed an accusing finger at him, "What did you say Sasuke?!"

"Easy you two," Kakashi said, clapping a hand down on both their shoulders. "Let's not spoil a good meal, alright?"

The two boys glared at each other and then turned away so they could then ignore the others presence. Syna put her hand down on each their heads and tousled their hair, "That a boys."

Naruto turned to bat her off, before stopping and staring behind him over his shoulder. "Huh, that guy is still there."

"Is he?" Sakura turned her head to look over her shoulder, the same as Sasuke. "He is. What is up with this, we've been seeing him all day. I wonder if he's stalking us?"

"You guys are too young for stalkers," Syna chuckled. She turned back to look over her shoulder, "Which one? You can just get your big tough sensei here to straighten him out," she jabbed a thumb in Kakashi's direction.

"The one that's carrying that strange stick on his back."

Syna looked for a moment to try spot the one they were talking about, finding him easily. He was seated nearby, eating something and with all the appearance of a man simply relaxing. He tilted his head up slightly though, and recognition blazed through Syna as she snapped her head back around quickly.

"Kakashi.." she said quietly.

He turned to look at her, suddenly a lot more alert than he had been a moment ago. Since she had first given him the nickname blue bell, Syna had barely called Kakashi by his proper name until now.

She appeared completely calm, a smile still on her face. The three genin turned up and looked at her, "Is it someone you know Syna?"

"Oh, no," she shook her head. "I just thought what with him carrying that stick like that, then it might be the person you were telling me about earlier, remember Kakashi?" Her eyes glanced up at him, "That ridiculous one you said you met outside that club in the Mist, Silver Shadows was it?"

Kakashi instantly understood, and nodded. "I guess I'll have to come back and see if I can find him later then."

The three students didn't notice anything, however as soon as Syna and Kakashi bid them goodbye for the day the two had instantly headed for Lady Tsunade's offices. Once Kakashi announced the urgency of their visit, they had been allowed to burst through the Hokage's doors a minute later.

Tsunade was sitting behind her desk, a cup of freshly poured sake from a bottle that looked like it had only just been open nearing her lips. She glared at the two over the top of her cup. "You better have a good excuse for spoiling my first moment of relaxation today."

"There's a Silver Shadow member here in Konoha," Kakashi said.

Tsunade slammed her cup of sake down on the desk in front of her, instantly forgetting about it. "What? How did they get through the border?" She stood quickly, asking Syna, "Did you see any others?"

"Just the one. But when on a mission they are hardly ever very far from each other, just in case they need back-up. The fact that they are here at all is a very bad sign." Her eyes then widened.

"What is it?" Tsunade demanded.

Syna pointed to something behind her, and Tsunade turned to face the windows that her eyes were currently fixed upon. Rain patted gently on the glass, rolling down in slow streaks. "Rain?"

"It was nothing but clear skies when we came into your office," Kakashi noted in a dark tone.

"The rain is the first sign that they are preparing for a sudden unseen attack," Syna said, her tone equally as displeased as Kakashi's.

Tsunade's brow creased in a frown, "Kakashi, I want you to alert every ANBU and Jounin in Konoha. We are on red alert. Tell them to ready themselves immediately for an attack." Her eyes narrowed, "And evacuate Konoha. Give no explanations; just tell them to evacuate immediately. I won't take chances with any civilian lives, though I'll be damned if any of these Silver Shadows penetrate our walls!"

Her eyes snapped back onto Syna, "As against protocol as this usually would be, we need an expert in our ranks. If a battle is coming, will you fight with our Leaf Shinobi?"

Syna was quiet for a moment.. The only sound that filled the office was the pat of rain against the window, growing louder and heavier with each passing second. She then nodded, "I will Lady Tsunade."

Tsunade wasted no time, instantly storming past the two of them and out of her office doors. "Good. We can't run the risk of any of them recognizing you either." She looked over her shoulder at Kakashi, "Kakashi, as soon as you have set off the red alert get Syna an ANBU uniform. Tell all Black Op's to concentrate their ranks around half a mile out from Konoha's border in the direction the storm is coming from. Syna you will be in charge of organizing the ranks to better fit an offensive or defensive strategy, depending on what course of action the Silver Shadows take. Both of you, do not engage in any battle unless they initiate it first, understand?"

"Understood Lady Tsunade," they both replied together.

"Good!" Tsunade practically broke the doors leading into the main reception, shouting at the Jounin who were standing around, "We are on red alert! Order all Jounin to evacuate the village of civilians and form ranks at the border, now!"

The Jounin immediately set to work. Tsunade stood in the foyer, watching them run out with a fierce look in her eyes. "If it's a battle these Silver Shadows are coming for, then it can be assured Konoha's shinobi are going to be their toughest opponents yet."

She faced the two still standing behind her, "You two are dismissed. Go!"

They both nodded. Kakashi led the way, Syna following close behind to his footsteps. They took shortcuts across the roofs as below an evacuation was already taking place. All chunnin and above were beginning to usher people out. There was confusion, fear and some anger, but overall it appeared to be going smooth. Syna kept her eyes peeled sharply for any sign of the single Silver Shadow she had seen earlier. By now he would have been aware something was going on, and when he reported it to the others then they would only hasten an attack.

What were they after? If she knew what they wanted then they could do something about it. Negotiate, or remove whatever it was they were after. They had to be searching for something, they wouldn't try take on an entire village just to wipe it out.. There had to be a motive for it.

Kakashi took Syna to a quieter part of the village, where even if it had been evacuated it would have been an almost silent part of the town. "Follow me," Kakashi said, leading her inside one of the buildings. It appeared empty at first glance, but the deeper inside the building they went, the more Syna realized it was just a disguise to ward off anyone. Soon enough weapons of all sorts were littering the ground, and what had to be spare ANBU uniform and masks from previous members that were no longer able to carry out services hung on the walls.

Kakashi tossed her what he judged to be a reasonable estimate size wise of an ANBU uniform. "Change quickly, we don't have much time."

Thunder clapped overhead, the rain coming down even heavier than before. "You certainly said it." She grimaced before ducking inside a room and closing the door.

A minute later she stepped out, now fully donned in ANBU gear that hung almost perfectly off her frame.. Her headband, clear and unmarked by any symbol at all, was now strapped about her forehead in a way so when she placed the mask on it would be hidden completely from view. At the same time Kakashi had slipped into his own ANBU gear, though Tsunade would likely not be too happy to find he had given away his identity. At this point in time Kakashi was willing to go on a little faith with Syna.

She slightly grinned when she saw him step out in his uniform, rather than appear surprised like he thought she might. She could almost read his mind, answering with, "I caught a glimpse of blue hair beneath one of the black coats when training the ANBU. As far as I was aware, you were the only bright blue haired Jounin in the village at the time."

The thunder cracked overhead again, and Syna bit her lip in worry, "We have to move. They won't be far away now."

Kakashi slipped on his mask, and Syna did the same with hers. It effectively hid her face from view, so from any others point of view they wouldn't be able to tell her identity. Arming themselves with weapons, each strapping a Ninjato sword to their back, the two of them sprinted towards the border of the village. By now most people had been cleared at least from the streets into safer locations. The only ones visible were Jounin, all making the same line towards the wall surrounding Konoha. They all made way for the two of them, as ANBU who were needed directly on the frontline.

"Any sign of them yet?" Kakashi asked one of them as they joined pace with him.

The Jounin shook his head, "No, not yet. But they can't be far."

Syna switched her position until she was practically shoulder to shoulder with the man. "Tell all other Jounin that if the ANBU has to engage in battle with the Silver Shadows then we will send up an obvious signal. As soon as you see that signal, all Jounin must put up their chakra barrier and be ready for any sudden attacks.."

The man nodded, and the two of them broke away from him again.

Occasionally other ANBU joined them, until there was a formation each headed directly for the border. All were wearing their uniform and heavily armed. None of them stopped crossing over the border and aiming directly towards the eye of the growing storm. Wind and rain whipped at them, lashing out at whatever bare skin that could reach and only growing fiercer by the moment. The group stopped on the path at where they deemed to be half a mile, with the storm slowly growing to blinding level as tree leaves and branches were thrown about them.

"Space out into the trees! The Silver Shadows will take a path where movement will be restricted, it's to their advantage! Set up your chakra barriers now!" Syna yelled into the wind. They nodded in response, and like shadows themselves the ANBU disappeared into the trees.

As they did so Syna remained standing in the centre of the wide pathway, only just visible in the wind and rain. Kakashi rejoined her again, "What are you doing?!"

"I need to be out in the open if I'm to send up a signal to the other Jounin. Also, if the Silver Shadows are only here to search for something, then there can be a chance if they are aware we know they are coming they will be both curious to know how we knew, and to see if there can be a negotiation."

"Do you really think that will happen?"

Syna turned her masked face towards his, before shaking it. "We are close to zero on that happening. Though if they see me here then they will try and remove me as an obstacle in their path, meaning they will stick to one area where we can corner them."

"Sounds like a plan; use yourself as bait." Even the roaring wind couldn't hide the sarcasm in his voice.

Syna chuckled behind the mask, drawing out three kunai which she wrapped in her fingers ready and waiting. "I'm not one for coming up with decent plans."

The wind suddenly picked up again, tearing at them fiercely like an animal with sharpened claws. Rain pelted down at them like tiny bullets, each one close to penetrating skin, while trees were nearly uprooted on the sides of the road nearby. Somewhere within the dark hollows between them the ANBU were hidden, while approaching them, hidden within the raging eye of the storm were the Silver Shadows.

"Ready or not," Syna said, bracing herself into a stance with the kunai out in front of her in one hand. Kakashi braced too, both facing out into an empty road almost obscured by the storm lashing down on them. Syna scowled beneath her mask, "Here they come."

* * *

Yay... don't you just love cliffys? they are so the best things in the world!

BTW.... Everyone tell Kakashi not to kill me over this whole kidnapping of his book incident as you see at the beginning of every chapter.... this writer would love to be able to continue her story, but fears a silver haired scarecrow may try murder her beforehand....

Kakashi: You would be correct in that assumption

Me: LOOK! A NEW COME COME PARADISE MOVIE!

Kakashi: *spins* WHERE?!

Me: *gone in puff of dust*


	12. Chapter 12

**In advance I give my thanks to Sayuri Kurosaki Uchiha Hatake. Forgive me that I am impatient in posting! Haha, so this chapter may be rough without her brilliant editing, but I owe her thanks anyway for her generous time to offer to edit! *many hugs* go attack her profile with love and affection minions!!**

**I'm jetting off to the South Island for a week... I'm going to terrorise the locals and remind them why they chose not to live in the North Island where I am! mwahahaha**

**And to Kakashi....**

**Me: *hiding amidst screaming Twilight fans who are trying to attack Kakashi* **

**Kakashi: I know your here... where is my book?!**

**Me: *runs for hill* *foot gets caught on something* *pulled into trap in tree* dammit! I fell into it just like Naruto!**

**Kakashi: *arms crossed* where is my book.... don't make me use drastic measures.... *pulls out feather duster***

**Me: No! MERCY!!**

* * *

At first there came only the deathly roar as the brunt of the storm slammed into them, throwing it's heavy fists against the two of them still standing in braced stances in the road. Trees buckled over, branches snapping clean off to be swept up by the winds, and a numbing sting of icy water pelting down sharply on their skin.

Both Kakashi and Syna performed their hand jutsu, the chakra barrier surrounding them. At close range it was obvious of the shimmer the barrier created as it warped the view of the rain that fell around them. From a distance though it would be too much of a mess for anyone to notice the slight slant and haziness of the rain though.

A flash of lightning accompanied by a clap of thunder lit up the sky briefly. It was all that both Syna and Kakashi needed to spot the glint of light against metal that was heading their direction, and they both jumped up out the way as a large collection of kunai thudded down into the soaked ground where they had stood seconds ago.

Syna gripped tightly onto her kunai, pausing to wait as her feet touched down on the ground again. Any moment now they would appear... right about... now!

Almost directly on cue a body suddenly appeared out of thin air, just on the rim of her chakra barrier about fifteen feet away. Though masked, Syna could tell that they were surprised they had suddenly become visible. It didn't stop the fierce aggression with which they used a kunai to whip out and try to slice near her throat, but Syna shocked him when she raised her own kunai to block the attack. There came a clang and spark of metal grinding on metal, before she threw her attacked back.

Kakashi had done the same. Though he hadn't been able to predict timing like Syna had, his sharingan which he allowed to expose beneath his mask helped him spot another attacker that came for him. His chakra barrier was smaller than Syna, barely ten feet from him, however even that amount of distance between them allowed him to move out the way of the attacker and catch a grip about his neck, pressing a kunai down beside his neck. He could tell too that his action had surprised the black masked man.

"I suggest you all show yourselves, or I kill him!" Kakashi yelled out into the wind, pressing the kunai down into an exposed area of flesh, making sure the man he had a hold on was unable to break loose of his grip without causing himself harm. "We know who you are and how you attack, so sneaking up on us would be useless!"

A moment later figures appeared in view, each dressed in the same armoured uniform and donned with similar black masks. They blended with the rain, near invisible even when they allowed themselves to be seen. Kakashi turned a little so he could face his captive towards them and place them as a barrier between them. Syna simply braced in a ready position again, alert for any movement at all. She was certain the ANBU in the surrounding trees were also ready on high alert in case the two needed back up.

"How did you learn about us?" one of the men asked coldly, stepping forward. His deep voice made Syna shudder with rememberance, and she knew exactly who it was. Sarus, the leader of the Silver Shadows from even when Syna was a part of the organisation. He was bulkier than the rest of the men, and brandished in his hand a sword made up of many different spiked ends. The same sword Syna had come to realise almost killed Kakashi barely three weeks ago.

Kakashi answered carefully, "We have learnt from your attacks over the last weeks, and we know you are seaching for something in Konoha. Tell us what it is and we may be able to arrange a solution without any bloodshed in our village."

Sarus laughed, cold and cruelly. "You are certainly smarter than we gave you credit for, but I'm afraid you are severely outmatched." He raised his sword so the points faced directly towards the two of them, "And seeing how you seem to have learnt so much, we cannot even let you live long enough to begin discussing those arrangements." His head tilted to the side, and even through the hollow slits for eyes they could tell he was grinning, evident by his tone as he said, "Not that we planned to let you live anyway."

Scowling behind her mask, Syna flexed her fingers on the handle of her sword strapped to her back before tightening her grip. If you couldn't negotiate instantly, then there was no negotiations. Her eyes fell on the man Kakashi had a grip on, seeing him move his hands ever so slightly so they could press together into a hand sign she recognised instantly.

As the same time the man Kakashi held slipped out of his view, the glow of chakra building up, Syna lunged at him. "Kakashi look out!" Grabbing onto him, they both toppled sideways onto the ground as lightning coverged together and smashed into the ground where he had stood, barely missing them by a few inches.

Both were on their feet again instantly. This time they weren't alone either as the ANBU appeared from their hidden positions, each armed and ready to attack. The Silver Shadows braced before they moved, each disappearing and then reappearing within feet of the ANBU who moved in time to swiftly block and counter attack. Syna and Kakashi both had their weapons drawn, bringing them up to meet the clash of kunai against the metal blades. Lightning illuminated them over for brief amounts of time, the rain smearing down against the grey backdrop making everything near impossible to see clearly.

Syna threw off another attack, then turned to gain another ANBU's attention, "Cover me!"

They nodded behind their mask, and Syna pressed her hands together in the form of a jutsu while the ANBU member fought off anyone who came towards her. Pushing her chakra forward through her fingertips, she pushed them out in front of her. The ground cracked open before her, a thin column rising up before her. "Stand back!" she shouted over the howling wind, pulling paper explosives attached to kunai she had obtained earlier from a pouch slung on her hip. Tossing them, they sunk into the rising column before exploding in a massive ball of fire that rose up through the storm and lit up the sky in a hazy red and orange colour briefly. It was one way of sending up a signal.

Syna turned again, throwing another kunai to strike into the skin of an approaching Silver Shadow. He pressed his hands together in a jutsu, soon backed up by two of his clones. Syna smirked inside her mask, performing another hand jutsu, the same as other ANBU were around them. The haze of the rain did nothing to hide the fact that it had become all too obvious the clones were now surrounded by the slight outline of coloured chakra, leaving the real Silver Shadows easy to pick out.

They were holding up a good fight. Both sides were now sustaining injuries, although unlike the ANBU the Silver Shadows were using their secret technique of transferring injuries to the clones to keep their health at the maximum. However the storm was starting to receed as they began to focus using their chakra instead on the fight, knowing the rain and wind was no longer acting as a cover.

None of them noticed that one Silver Shadow had slowly planted paper bombs beneath their feet on the soggy ground. A single cry of, "Move back!" was screamed into the air, and suddenly the Silver Shadows disappeared leaving hte ANBU standing on the infested ground.

Kakashi noticed the paper bombs first, half hidden by mud, and shouted, "MOVE!" The group barely had enough time to leap up out of the way as they exploded beneath their feet. As the ANBU landed within the line of trees, the Silver Shadows took their opportunity to sprint past on the upturned ground below.

"Don't lose them!" one of the ANBU members shouted. Reforming ranks, Syna joined line with them as they charged after the Silver Shadows. "Cut them off before they reach Konoha!"

One of the ANBU pressed his hands together in a jutsu, and the ground began to quake beneath their feet as shapes began to rise out of the soaked dirt. They raced towards the Silver Shadows, colliding with clones who turned back in order to hold them back. Jutsu's began to erupt all around them as they locked combat together. Most ANBU's let their clones stay behind to continue the fight, while the rest, including Syna and Kakashi, continued towards the wall. They were almost there, and it became obvious that they had been spotted as the air crackled with more jutsu's from the Jounin poised in waiting around Konoha.

Syna took a grip on the sword in her hand, before lunging to attack. She didn't dare to risk her usual method of attack, because then it would become all too clear to the Silver Shadows who she was. The ANBU and Jounin were still holding up a pretty fair battle, but it was clearly obvious that their techniques weren't perfected due to the lack of time they had to learn it. As they set up the chakra barriers around themselves, and the ANBU used theirs to make a visible difference between the clones and real Silver Shadows they should focus attacks onto, it became even more aware to Syna that they wouldn't be able to hold out for very much longer. Though there was a large number of incredibly strong Leaf Shinobi that were slowly wearing the Silver Shadows down of their strength and chakra, their level of chakra control could come nowhere close to their black masked opponents.

Using a jutsu to manipulate the air currents, Sarus threw off three Jounin at once before raising his sword above his head. He roared out into the dying winds, "Shadows, Wolf Formation now! Kill them all and find that boy!"

Syna froze. She knew the Wolf Formation, though it was something they had only ever had to use once. It consisted of the Silver Shadows in one formation, attacking together with the same jutsu like a pack of wolves, destroying everything that was near to them... no-one surrounding them survived after they completed the Formation. Syna screamed into the air, "Keep them seperated! Don't let them near each other!"

The Leaf Shinobi around her heard her cries, spreading it throughout them as they began to work to keep the Silver Shadows apart. It became hard work, draining terribly on any remaining chakra they had in order to make sure the Shadows came nowhere near to each other. Syna scanned the ground for Kakashi, finding him and instantly making for his side.

Landing next to him, she threw off the clone of the Silver Shadow that leapt towards her. It was already badle injured, coated in so much blood and wounds it was almost mutilated beyond recognition as a person. However it kept on coming at them with fierce blows that they dodged.

"Kakashi, they're after a person. A boy. You have to know who!" she shouted at him before bringing her sword down to slice across the chest of the clone, leaving a spray of blood behind the blade.

She saw Kakashi tense up. "Naruto," he replied, turning towards her, "They're after Naruto!"

"Naruto? Why?!" Syna shouted back, ducking backwards to avoid the clone again before chucking a few kunai with paper bombs attached to them. They landed in the ground surrounding the clone, exploding and blowing the clone back into nothing but smoke and dust. She faced Kakashi again, "Why are they going after Naruto?"

"He's sealed with a Demon."

Those two words felt like a sharp punch into the gut for Syna. Naruto, that over boistrous, loud mouthed yet good natured kid, was sealed with a Demon? With power like his, it was no wonder the Silver Shadows would chose to come after him. "They're trying the experiment again..."

Snapping her head towards Kakashi, she shouted, "I've seen what they did with the last Demon they had in their grasp. We can't let them get their hands on Naruto! If they get their hands on any of his power then we'll never be able to stop them!"

Kakashi nodded, before they both cried out when the ground shifted dramatically beneath their feet, heaving up like waves and throwing everyone from their footing. They all leapt up into the air in order to regain their stances, in which time the Silver Shadows managed to deflect all attacks upon them. Throwing the Jounin who were attacking them with jutsu's and kunai tied down with paper bombs, it allowed them the split second to join together in a single group.

"Kakashi if they perform that Formation everyone here will be killed!" Syna shouted in horror. "We have to stop them!"

Kakashi nodded, "Come on!" They both sprinted towards the group formation, who were all beginning to perform a hand sign one by one. If they all managed to perform it one after the other with no break in the chain, they would be too late.

Kakashi lowered his arm, gripping it as chakra built up in the palm. Lightning crackled, filling the air with high pitched chirps that sounded very much like a flock of birds. Increasing his speed, Kakashi leapt towards their leader Sarus, who had been the first to perform the hand sign. If he could kill the leader, the Formation would be broken and there would be one less enemy.

His jutsu almost reached the man, before suddenly something lunged at him from the side. It was a clone that only his sharingan spotted, and he turned to rake the lightning blade across the chest of the clone, instantly destroying it before turning attention back towards the formation. His sharigan spotted the leader as he broke away from the formation, aware it was more risky to stand there with Kakashi heading for him than to continue their combined jutsu at this exact moment. Sarus pressed his hands together, and Kakashi felt something close about his arm that crackled with the lightning. A sharp pain suddenly bolted up his arm as something sunk down into his skin, the feeling of his own chakra being turned against him. It travelled up his arm, something striking him in the chest that knocked him backwards.

"Kakashi!" Syna shouted, seeing Sarus raise his sword with the multiple blades as Kakashi was thrown back by the reversal of his own chakra. A specialty of Sarus', and the reason he was their leader. His chakra control was impressive, but the fact he could also manage to manipulate others to a certain measure was what made him the most dangerous. Kakashi hardly stood a chance, no-one did.

Except her.

Forgetting everything about needing to remain in secrecy, Syna sprinted forward and disappeared, reappeing that extra distance later directly between Kakashi and Sarus, her blade catching on his and throwing him off his target. She lifted a leg up to kick him squarely in the chest, knocking him backwards towards the group of Silver Shadows who had been remained in formation while blocking incoming attacks around them.

They all stopped suddenly, staring at Syna. Sarus got to his feet, roaring, "How did you... who are you?!" Syna didn't reply to him. She gripped the blade, disappeaing again before reappearing at different points around the group. Unprepared for her, they were unable to stop the direct blows she delivered as she kept disappearing and reappearing. Their clones had slowly been destroyed, and now they were slowly starting to become worn down enough to become vulnerable.

Realising finally what she was doing, they powered up the same chakra barriers that Syna had taught the Jounin to do, and she jumped back knowing the technique would be of little use for an offensive anymore. Kunai flew at her, and she brought the blade up to deflect them. At the same moment three Silver shadows leapt at her.

Kakashi lunged in and knocked one off course, and more Jounin and ANBU were still attacking the remaining Silver Shadows, forcing them into the centre of a circle. Syna turned to dodge one Silver Shadow, and barely noticed as the second one leapt at her. She had just enough time to duck her head to avoid it being seperated from her shoulders, however she felt horror sink in when their blade struck against the mask she was wearing, cracking it into thousands of tiny little pieces.

The Silver Shadows rejoined together into one group, surrounded by every Jounin and ANBU from the village. Sarus joined his hands together in a jutsu, all of them raising their hands ready and waiting. No jutsu's or weapons were flying anymore, instead a silence had overcome them. The winds and rain had completley died down, the Silver Shadows now focused on Syna and only Syna as she rose to her feet again, facing away from them. "We have finished formation. Show your face to us or we kill everyone here!" Sarus demanded.

Syna knew she had no choice now. The Silver Shadows were together in finished, and could easily perform the Wolf Formation if she didn't come up with something. The Jounin and ANBU were too exhausted to stop them anymore, even though they may have been the ones to have them cornered in the centre of the circle. Besides, the level of chakra would kill them all instantly even if they were at their peak. Showing them her face would be enough to distract them. The formation could only be performed once, and if they knew it was her then they would try use it against her. She could draw them from everyone and Konoha.

Turning on her heels, she raised her head towards them, seeing them all instantly take one step back in order to brace in strong stances as they saw her face and wink of light against the blank metal headband. "Syna!"

She grinned, slipping her sword back into the sheath strapped between her shoulder blades. She wasn't going to need it again now. "Hello boys. Miss me?"

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Ta DA!! Hope you enjoyed! Forgive me... I cannot write down here for much longer... I am to be on a plane soon.... GAH!!! it's a good thing I actually packed the day before for once!!

Again love, cookies, millions of hugs.... and a fangirl squeal randomly! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPP!!! (don't know why I screamed but meh)

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG..... frogs!!! (humour from lack of sleep) -_-

ignore... I'm ranting.... must be off! reviews are much loved!! even you reading this though makes me smile!!!


	13. Chapter 13

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**Hello my friends!! OMG YES!!! I AM BACK AT LAST!! After abandoning you two whole months!! i feel terrible!!! T_T i have tried to write... but school has been a right pain in the keister.... however you spell it xD speaking of spelling, I'm so eager to finally start posting again that there may be a lot of errors in the work... i don't care tho!! i need to post something for you!!!**

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**Thanks if your still there... I feel bad for leaving you hanging!! poor people!! T_T **

**So here you are at last! I hope you enjoy... please do! And I hopefully won't take so long to post again!!**

**Me: No Kakashi! *trying to wriggle away from feather duster* Have Mercy!!!**

**Kakashi: Tell me where my book is then.**

**Me: T_T fine!! It's hidden underneath my bed, okay?**

**Kakashi: Good on you. *runs off to go find his book***

**Me: *evil laugh* mwahahah... it's not really.... *runs in other direction really fast***

**Kakashi: grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr**

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A moment passed in which Syna and the Silver Shadows merely watched each other. While she maintained the calm appearance at their sudden reaqquaintance together, the Silver clenched their fingers tighter together in their hand signs. Around them the Leaf Shinobi braced.

"Your supposed to be dead," Sarus growled, loud enough for her to hear. "You and your traitorous brother."

"Well forgive me for being very much alive," she replied. Then her gaze darkened, "Why are the Silver Shadows now attacking outside their own Land? Who sent you?"

The Silver Shadows were silent for a few moments, in which Syna clenched her fist tightly and wiated for their response. The air was tense enough to cut through, and everyone braced and ready for any sudden movements.

Sarus then chuckled. "After you and your brother were thought disposed of, we appointed a new Leader. Krusac."

Her eyes narrowed in a scowl, "Should have known really that he was the new Leader, seeing he's an ex-Silver Shadow, and seeing how you are after the Demons power again. Krusac never really did care about innocents safety when it came to Demon power did he? The Land of Shadows or any other."

She grit her teeth, "I can tell you this much now though," she spat as she pressed her fingers together, "I'll be dead before I let you hurt the sealed boy or this village! I won't let the past be repeated!"

Performing a hand jutsu, she shouted loud enough for everyone to hear her, "GET DOWN!"

Instantly everyone did so, quickly dropping down to their knees as currents of air whipped over the top of their heads, smashing down into the circle of the Silver Shadows. They jumped out of the way as the needle points met with the ground, cracking it open under the enormous pressure. Setting foot on the ground again, all the Silver Shadows disappeared and reappeared less than a few feet away from Syna, faster than any of the Leaf Shinobi could react.

Syna was ready though, already in the middle of performing another jutsu. The same current of air whipped back towards them, hooking around them all and throwing them backwards through the air. Turning her head, Syna screamed at the shinobi, "All of you get back inside Konoha, now! Set up as much barriers around the village as you can, or it will be completley destroyed if they use their jutsu! I know how to hold them off!"

They nodded, all moving at top speed back to the wall of Konoha. Kakashi stopped though as his sharigan picked up on something moving beneath the ground where Syna was currently standing, and it didn't look like it was from her doing. "Syna!" Kakashi cried, moving back towards her. His arm caught around her, pulling her out the way as something leapt out from beneath the ground and tried to grip at her legs.

Syna performed yet another hand sign, peering at Kakashi over her shoulder, "Better stand back."

Pressing her palm to the ground, massive walls of earth began to rise up around them, sealing them off both the two of them and the Silver Shadows from where the other shinobi had started heading to the wall. Some had stayed back to provide assistance, but Syna's jutsu had now cut them off. The walls continued to rise, small hills and jagged mounds also pulling up from the ground between the two and the Silver Shadows to hide them from view. "Kakashi, you have to go back and help the other's put up barriers around Konoha."

"Syna you'll get yourself killed if you go up against all of them alone!" he answered, eyes sharp for any oncoming figures.

Her hand gripped around his shoulder, pulling him to face her, "Kakashi listen to me. They never perform the Wolf Formation unless it's a last resort. It's a powerful jutsu that can wipe out everything in a one mile radius. It's the same sort of technique like what I use to replace my own chakra." She saw him play the memory of the lifeless trees and ground that had everything drained from them. "That is what will happen to Konoha if they perform this jutsu. If they are this serious about getting their hands on Naruto, then no-one but me can stop them." She looked him dead on into the face, despite the fact he was still wearing his ANBU mask, "I'm going to lead them away, and I know they will come after me. Don't follow Kakashi, you or anyone else."

"You can't go up against that by yourself!"

"Kakashi!" she shouted at him, now with both her hands gripping tightly on his shoulders, "Please, just trust me! I don't want to see you get hurt."

He was about to reply when something overhead of them rumbled, drawing their attention to what resembled a pack of angry tigers, each made of lightning, air, water, earth or whatever materials had been near to them to work with; namely the products of the storm and the ground around them. Both of them leapt up out of the way as the tigers pounced down upon them, soon surrounded by more Silver Shadows, each armed. They disappeared and reappeared, lunging towards the two. Kakashi used kunai to deflect their attacks, while Syna simply swerved and dodged the strikes.

Pressing her hands together, she shouted, "Earth Style! Earth Wolf jutsu!" Dozen of wolves rose up from beneath the ground, colliding with the tigers that swiftly made moves towards them. Those that collided were destroyed instantly. The Silver Shadows moved to avoid them as the wolves snapped at their heels with large earthly jaws. Looking over her shoulder, Syna yelled once more, "Kakashi go!"

Then she disappeared, reappearing some distance away hidden from his sharingan view. Sprinting a good distance, she chucked a kunai with a paper bomb attached to it, exploding only a few feet away from the edge of the forest. It caught the Silver Shadows attention, which was her intention, and they soon appeared after her. "Stop her!"

Syna could see their hands beginning to press together to form the jutsu, meaning she really didn't have enough time to put a good distance between them and Konoha. She sprinted faster, using bursts of disappearing and reappearing distances apart to her advantage, though the Silver Shadows followed just as easily. She would have used her technique in order to cover the distance of a few miles, but that meant she would lose the Silver Shadows which was something she couldn't afford.

Something sharp bit into the back of her shoulder, and she gasped in pain, turning her head to see one of the tigers with it's teeth sunk deep into her skin. Spinning she kicked it sharply in the forehead, destroying it instantly. More were right on her heel, snapping and clawing at her. Some were attacked by the remainder or her earth wolves, the others continued to try slow her down.

Someone behind her cried, "Air Style! Air Blade Jutsu!"Dammit, Syna growled in her mind before throwing herself to the left sharply, narrowly avoiding a gust of wind which sliced directly through the entire trunk of the tree she had stood upon a few moments ago. The air blades came back again, and Syna had to keep throwing herself sideways to avoid each time it tried to slice her. The only problem was the forest was beginning to thin out a little, approaching a clearing up ahead. On the clearing there would be nothing to hide behind or use as a temporary shield as she was using the trees. It would have to be as far as she went, and it should have been far enough out of range of Konoha.

Pressing her hands together into another hand sign, she then flattened her palms quickly onto the trunk of a tree still standing. Something in the tree sparked to life, spreading throughout it and into the others surrounding standing around. Their roots suddenly shot upwards, thickening and growing. Weaving together between each other, they formed a wall between her and her pursuers that should slow them down at least for a couple of extra seconds.

The trees surrounding her were suddenly gone, an enormous clearing now between her and the next line of trees. It was the perfect place for the Silver Shadows to trap her.... or for her to trap them.

She was almost halfway across the clearing when something struck down at her from behind, lifting her well off her feet. Currently between the jaws of one of the tigers, she quickly made herself reappear just above it's head as the tigers snapped it's jaws down on what would have been her. Kicking down swiftly, the earth tiger shattered from the head downwards. Syna heard a growling, unable to move out the way as more tigers swept towards her and collided with her. She nearly screamed in pain as they bit down through her skin, shaking them off before performing a clone jutsu. Transferring her injuries to her clone, she threw herself backwards as the tigers tackled her clone, shredding it beyond redemption. A dust cloud flew up as the tigers landed, billowing around what remained of the clone before it disappered.

As the dust settled, the Silver Shadows came into view. They stood only a hundred feet away in a single line, regarding her as she faced them tensed with clenched fists. Slowly each one of them reached up to remove their masks, staring her down with disdainful faces she could remember as clearly as if it had been only days instead of years since she last saw them.

"Had enough of running have you Syna?" growled Sarus. His top lip curled back over his teeth in a scowl, making the ever memorable scar running from the top of his left eye to his right jaw bone squash in an awkward manner and giving him an even fiercer look.

"I've been running from you ever since you thought you finally got rid of me, Sarus." Syna glared at him, her fists clenching even tighter until they were almost bone white."I know why Krusac sent you after the Demon sealed boy in Konoha. So you can attempt your little experiment again."

"You didn't seem to complain about the experiment last time when you were one of us," Sarus sneered with a grin.

"That was my own choice, and it took away everything I had. My family, my friends and my home. It was my price to pay. But I'm not going to let you destroy an entire village, or another boys life, like I let you destroy mine."

"Your a traitor to your Land by going against us Syna."

"I believe my loyalty was broken the moment you tried to kill me."

Sarus clenched his fists. "A failure we won't repeat. You are a traitor, an abomination, and you will die."

Syna only smiled softly, tipping her head back a little as she briefly rolled her eyes. "I know what I am, and if you'd of found me even a few weeks earlier then I might have been content to simply let you kill me. But now I've discovered a use for what I am that's beyond destroying villages and killing innocent people. And that's protecting them from what you lot have now become." She pressed her palms together, beginning to form another jutsu. "Would you like to see exactly what I've become capable of?"

She disappeared, putting as much space in the clearing as she could between her and the Silver Shadows, her hands still moving in the hand sign.

"Kill her!" Sarus shouted, and the Silver Shadows banded together to press their palms together. Chakra streamed out of the ground around them, spiralling in a cricle about the group and nearly shielding them from view. "Wolf Formation Jutsu!" they all cried in one single chorus.

The chakra surrounding the Silver Shadows spread out into the air, growing fiercer and greater with every passing second. It was like a whirlwind, sweeping out across the ground, sucking all the colour from everything it touched. The ground began to shift, cracking like the fragile surface of an eggshell. As it swept out into the trees, they collapsed in on themselves, every inch of life becoming chakra to fuel the destructive rage of chakra that they controlled. Every moment it grew closer to Syna, at a rate she wouldn't have been able to outrun if she had even tried.

"Four Elements! Rising Dragons Jutsu!" Syna shouted, pressing her hands down onto the ground. She bit down on her lip. This was going to take a lot of chakra.

Shrieks filled the air, piercing roars that rumbled deep within massive throats as four dragons formed. They shot out of the ground; one air, one water, one fire and one earth. Rising far above into the air, their roars echoed out across the forests. Turning together as they reached the peak of their height, the massive beasts made a straight line directly downward towards Syna, as the growing ball of chakra surrounded the Silver Shadows kept pressing towards her.

Their chakra kept pushing outwards towards Syna at an alarming rate. She kept her ground, directing the dragons down towards her before they suddenly turned last minute upwards so their bellies skimmed the ground. Syna leapt up, taking a place upon the solid back of the dragon shaped by the earth, bolting towards the Silver Shadows. The spiralling swirl of chakra was growing closer, destroying everything in it's path, but Syna didn't switch direction. She was close enough to see the smug grins on the faces of every man as they watched her come towards them, sure she would meet her end as soon as she touched the barrier.

It was worthy of a smirk to see their faces as she passed unscathed through the chakra. There was a terrible feeling of burning at her skin, and the edges of her dragons were whittled down slightly, but she ignored the pain and pressed forward. Leaping off the back of the dragon, they gave one last roar as they smashed down into the ground. The earth heaved upwards, mixed with an explosion of fire, wind and water that sprayed out into the air.

It took minutes for the dust to clear enough for anything to be seen any longer. The clearing was nothing but a wrecked wasteland anymore, the trees of the forest bare and buckled over in a lifeless slump. Syna lightly landed on her feet, scanning for any sign of life. None presented itself to her instantly, but she remained on guard.

It was a lucky thing she did, because she heard the scuffle of feet and shift of a large slate of rock as the Silver Shadows slowly pulled themselves where the earth collapsed down atop them. They looked awful, most injured and unable to use a clone to heal themselves. This was the first time the Silver Shadows ever looked so terribly defeated.

"You broke through the chakra. No person's chakra is strong enough to break through the Wolf Formation!" Sarus yelled. His dust smeared face was furious.

"Mine isin't," Syna answered, "But hers is."

His eyes widened, this time in fear. They all drew back. "That's impossible! The binding was a failure! It's her link to your chakra, not the other way. You can't use her chakra!"

"And that's the reason why you tried to have me eliminated, I know. But that's also where you were wrong the entire time. I found a way to use it," she told them, eyes darkening as she scowled, "But the cost of using that chakra is always more than I care for."

She drew out a single kunai, "For the lives of these people though, I'm willing to risk my life to pay that price."

Sarus grunted, "You would sacrifice your life for a village you barely know?"

"It doesn't matter whether I know them or not," Syna told him. "But if I can protect them against what you have become, then that's exactly what I'll do until either you or I take our last breath." She drew her memory back to everyone she had met in Konoha. Especially one person who had helped give her more happiness than she had had in years, who she could only hope had listened to her and gone back to the village. She would happily die to protect them all. They were already people she couldn't care more for in the world.

"I won't let you hurt a single one of them!"

The Silver Shadows began to perform more jutsu's before it was too late to do anything. Pillars of earth, whirlwinds, lightning from new formed clouds in the sky and fire from thin air all made their way towards her. Syna dodged them all, performing the jutsu to draw out more wolves that threw themselves in front of all attacks.

Something grabbed onto Syna's leg, and she looked down to find a long shadow that had attached itself to her, slowly winding up her legs and binding her. The air went foggy, becoming darker as the ninjitsu became genjitsu, slowly trying to overcloud her thoughts and trap her, leaving her open and vulnerable for an attack. Inwardly she smiled to herself, closing her eyes and letting her mind clear, feeling the kunai clutched in her hand tightly. Then with a single burst of chakra, she open her eyes to a clear view and opened her arms to break free of the binding shadows.

"What?! Get her! Now!" Sarus shouted, his voice now laced with terror.

The Silver Shadows leapt for her as Syna took the kunai, slitting down the inside of her left palm. "You were so eager to know what a demon's power was like, so let me show you!" she shouted, slamming her palm down onto the ground as they overshadowed her ready to strike. Chakra streamed out of her, soaking up from beneath the ground through her limbs, burning through her blood where it slowly soaked out into the ground.

The burst of chakra threw the Silver Shadows backwards through the air, landing heavily several feet away. Syna felt the ground shudder beneath her palm, before it widened out into a single crater about her.

Something rose out from crater, slowly at first before it began to gain mass. It's skin was a silver shimmer of chakra, not quite a fully formed shape but with angry red eyes the shade of burning fire. With wide jaws, glistening sharp and eyes trained directly onto the Silver Shadows, the creature rose to full height. She stood nearly at one hundred feet above them, stretching out shimmering legs and flicking a long tail, reaching her full shape. The real formation of a wolf. A demon.

A low growl emitted from her throat. The Silver Shadows backed away slowly, fear clearly across their faces. They gripped to their weapons, throwing whatever they could at the giant beast, but everything bounced back off her skin. Syna stood firmly, watching the monster she had released for the first time reach her full potential.

The demon's low growl turned into a fearsome roar, before she leapt at the Silver Shadows and snapped her teeth down around them. They didn't even stand a chance, dust billowing up around them as the jaws closed and they disappeared completley from view. She growled through closed teeth, before spitting the dead bodies back onto the ground, leaving them there where they could rot forever more.

Turning sharply, the demon now stood face to face with Syna. "So I finally get to see you face to face again, do I?" her voice echoed deeply, jaw stretching up into a widened smile.

Syna remained calm and quiet. "I'm done with you. Crawl back to where you came from now."

The demon laughed, the silvery sheen of her fur shaking and she dipped her head so fiery red eyes could meet directly with Syna. "Just because you summoning me is the only way to pull me between worlds doesn't mean you control me, human. I still control the chakra flow in your body," she grinned widely and laughed again between her sharp teeth, "And your weak, your chakra is nearly gone."

"I have until the end of the night to replace all my chakra." There had to be land around somewhere which would be able to replace the chakra. That was the cost of using beyond the barest of chakra levels, such as small jutsu's and medical chakra. More had to be drawn from the earth to keep her strong to hold this foul demon back behind the seal before the end of the night... or the seal could break and allow her to break through between the worlds. It had happened once before, where Syna had almost lost all control over everything.

The demon grinned again, a dark grin which suddenly made Syna's heart leap into her throat and tense uncomfortably. "After all I've done for you tonight though, your so weak and helpless I doubt you would even be able to hold me off from breaking through that pitiful seal. Human's are so pathetic. Especially you."

"Names will not make me go away," Syna grinned.

Growling, the demon hissed, "Foolish human. I cannot harm you, but once I am loose I'll see fit to take everything you seem to find dear away from you. Just like last time."

Syna could remember that night. Only once had she ever missed replacing her chakra to keep the seal strong. That was the first time she lost complete control, destroying half a tiny village and losing her brother. After that she had withdrawn from all society, smart enough not to risk making that same mistake twice.

Syna clenched her teeth, "What do you want?"

"I was thinking of crushing that dear little village you've been trying so hard to protect into the ground." Syna froze, hands tightening into fists she angrily growled, "I won't let you."

A low rumble of laughter, fiery eyes narrowing. "Well maybe I'll just kill that silver haired human male you seem to have grown terribly fond of."

"You'll leave Kakashi and Konoha out of this. Your fight is with me, and will only ever be with me. If you want a life then take mine."

"Your loyalty and love is sweet, but if I kill you then I die too. We both know that."

"Crawl back into the ground," Syna spat, trying to use her strength to push the demon back through the seal into her body, feeling how depleted her own chakra was and knowing full well that the demon would give her none. "I won't let you hurt any of them."

Eyes growing dark and angry, the demon raised her head, "You have no choice in this matter. The seal that binds me is too weak for you to control me with your chakra gone." She bore her teeth, looking over into the distance with pricked ears, before suddenly grinning again, "Once the sun rises, that precious little city is mine to destroy."

"You won't be able to," Syna growled, pulling the sword from it's sheath and raising it above her, the blade in the centre of her chest. She never even got the chance before a pain overcame her, and she fell to the ground screaming in agony. Her seal mark burned, and she gripped at it tightly trying to get it to stop. The sword fell from her fingers, clattering to the ground beside her.

Standing above her, the demons eyes glowed wickedly, "You are a fool to have released me. After using all your chakra, I have enough power over your mind to control you until sunrise."

"Not over all of me!" Syna grunted through the pain, pressing her sliced bloody palm against her chest where the seal mark burned. They may have been bound together, but the seal had been a failure to trap the demon inside her body, instead trapping it as a spirit within the ground. Using every single last drop of chakra she posessed, Syna forced the demon back. The demon gave one last growl, before she sank back into the earth, leaving Syna to collapse, writhing on the ground in agony. The pain was overwhelming, filling every single one of her senses with a terrible burning pain that felt like it would kill her. The demon couldn't kill her, but she was doing everything she could to incapacitate her.

Slowly her vision was darkening as the pain became almost unbearable. She tried to get to her feet, needing to put as much distance as she could between her and Konoha before the sun rose and find an empty place to replenish the chakra for the seal. It was still hours off from the evening light. If she could use her technique to cover miles in one go, Konoha could be safe. Her body couldn't quite muster the strength though, and she fell to the ground again screaming in pain, knowing the demon was behind it. The monster had been right though, she had been a fool to release her in the first place. She lay on the ground, in a pain filled paralysis that could barely allow her to pull herself up to her knees anymore.

"Syna!"

Syna felt her heart jolt when an arm wrapped around her, pulling her upwards into a sitting position. She looked up into his face, exposed without his ANBU mask but still covered with his ever familiar blue mask that revealed only up to his eyes. His sharingan was still exposed in case anyone leapt out at them."Kakashi.." she mumbled, "Kakashi you have to go. Konoha's going to be destroyed..."

"Syna, the Silver Shadows are dead. You killed them, and Konoha is safe. But your badly injured, you need medical assistance," he replied firmly. He hadn't seen the demon, that much was obvious. Kakashi hooked his arm under her legs and lifted her, staring back in the direction of the village.

"No," she answered, feeling the pain hit her again as her eyesight continued to grow darker. She lifted her hand, pressing it against the side of his face to draw his attention back to her, "You have to keep me away from Konoha Kakashi... please, kill me."

On those final words her strength finally failed, hand falling limp back in her lap and head slumping against his chest.

Kakashi felt her go limp in his arms, falling into unconsciousness. He didn't know what she had done, but he had definately seen and felt a lot of it. The rising dragons, the billowing clouds of dust, and mostly the large wasteland between here and Konoha. A large chunk of the wall had been caught by the large chakra ball that had swept across through the trees, burning right through the majority of the barriers they had set up and crumbling whatever of the wall it touched instantly. As soon as it passed he had come straight after her, fearful for the worst. The destruction was so major it was amazing that Syna was still standing, though the Silver Shadows were dead. The chakra she had used must have been incredibly powerful and draining to leave her like this.

Her breathing was now so shallow she barely seemed to be breathing at all. Without medical care soon she would most likely die. Kakashi remembered the promise he had made to her, if she ever asked him to. He promised that if she ever asked him to kill her, he would.

Staring down into her face, even now looking like it was in a mixture of great pain and tension, Kakashi tightened his grip around her, seeing how fragile she looked. The same as the night he had entered her room to find her writhing in pain on the floor of her bedroom. His chest tightened and he tore his gaze from her. "I'm sorry Syna. I can't kill you." Clutching her carefully in his arms, he ran straight back to the village.

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**cheesy, or not? I wasn't sure... but it's what your getting hahaha! Hopefully you enjoyed!! ^^ I'm posting the next piece too... one extra for being evil and going so long!.... le sigh... i hope it's of good expectations... if not, I'm sorry! blame the time off for ruining my muse**


	14. Chapter 14

**And another chapter for youuuuuu! Enjoy it, and thankyou for reading again!! I will thank all my reviewers at some point, be assured of that! I'm just so darn lazy.... and it is nearly 2 in the morning!!! I'm tired and lazy! XD**

**Uh... I'm hoping your still enjoying it, and your not finding it cheesy and terrible now!! If you are... you can give me complaints in reviews, I don't mind.... it will crush my heart but I shall deal with it... LOL**

**Me: *running like the wind from Kakashi* *hides out in a place he would never think of***

**Kakashi: *looking around* now where did she go??**

**Random Stranger: she just went into that store of Well minded and Health Books**

**Kakashi: The devious blighter!! *runs into store***

**Me: Betrayed by a random!! T_T**

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Syna awoke in pain, groaning as she slowly dragged herself upwards. A burning ache spread throughout her body, feeling like the blood in her veins was itself on fire. Pressing her palm down against her forehead, she sat up, waiting until the dizziness subsided enough to allow her to see clearly.

She didn't like what she saw. The clean white wash walls of a hospital room, and a wide window that opened out onto the sleeping village of Konoha below. The stars winked at her, moon almost full in the darkened night sky. Somewhere at the very edge of the horizon though was the gentle pink and purple colours of sunrise, barely half an hour away.

"No!" Syna screamed out loud in horror, mustering every piece of strength she had left in her body in order to yank herself from beneath the covers of the hospital sheets and place her bare feet on the floor. She had been redressed in new clothes at some point after what had to have been an examination, though her weapons bag and headband were waiting for her on a bedside table.

She reached inside the bag, drawing out a kunai and pressing it against the delicate skin of her neck. Instantly a sharp pain shot thorugh her, and she screamed as the kunai clattered to the ground. The demon was still there, and every time she raised a weapon to herself the demon was sure to stop her. The only other option was getting as far away from this village as she could. She picked up her pouch, slinging it to her side. The loose fitting dress she wore wasn't the best for strapping the pouch around her hip, but she daren't leave without them.

She was already outside the window, pulling herself onto the roof. Disorientated, she tripped over and began to topple sideways. A hand reached out and caught her before she fell.

It was Iruka who pulled her back to her feet, "Syna what are you doing out of the hospital?" He moved to help her walk, "Let's get you back inside."

Syna felt a surge of chakra beginning to run up her arm, recognising it instantly, and yanked herself out of his grip before it touched him, "No Iruka! I have to get out of here." She grunted in pain again as she leapt out across the roof, beginning to sprint as fast as she could away. She couldn't even muster the ability to use her technique to cover the distance quicker.

Every moment she felt strong bursts at the seal. Dawn was very near, and the demon was beginning to try free herself by already attempting to break the seal.

"Syna," Iruka joined a stride next to her. "Syna what is going on?!" He placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Iruka no!" Syna shouted before feeling the surge of chakra again, this time unable to stop it as it began to greedily draw chakra out of him into her.

They both crashed into the roof. Syna threw Iruka off before all his chakra became absorbed from his body, and he coughed as he drew himself to shaky knees. Syna shook, pressing her hands onto the smooth surface of the roof. She removed them hastily in horror as she felt more chakra draw into her fingertips, forming a rough circle in the roof that started to crumble into the level below. Iruka stared with widened eyes, still trying to draw himself upwards after having a large portion of his chakra taken, his strength almost gone. "What... what did you do?!"

"Iruka--" Syna was cut off as a fresh wave of pain overtook her. The roof started to crumble more, the circle growing wider. She had to keep moving, or slowly more and more of Konoha would be absorbed beyond her control. Facing Iruka, she said, "Iruka, send whoever you next see after me. Tell them... gah!" More pain overtook her momentarily, before she gasped out, "Tell them to kill me!"

She was gone again before he could even speak, face filled with a shock at her request. Syna took each step as fast as she could, trying desperately to pull the strength together to use her technique and transport herself, but every time it was just beyond her strength. Twice more she tried pressing a kunai to her throat, both times a wave of pain stopping her. The only reason the demon wasn't taking all her strength in an attempt to escape the city was because it was an almost pointless effort.

Syna was now in the empty gardens closing in on the mountain with the Hokage's faces carved into the side. Taking a delicate step into the grass, the chakra uptake was so tremendous to try hold back without exposing the rest of Konoha to the same absorbtion. Scaling the mountain wasn't all too hard, but avoiding the chakra from the mountain face and destroying the Hokage monument was far more difficult. She collapsed to her knees in utter exhaustion at the very top. She remembered standing here less than a day ago, happy and nearly carefree. Now she could feel her entire body shake in pain.

She heard footsteps, fast ones, approach towards her. Perfect timing, as the light over the horizon grew brighter every moment. "Syna, what's going on?!"

Her heart clenched. It was Kakashi. She turned her face up to him as he tried to put his hand down on her shoulder, jerking back before he got a chance, "Kakashi don't touch me!"

He drew his hand back, cautiously taking a step backwards as he saw the ground around slowly soaking into a dull grey colour. "Syna what's happening?"

"Kakashi, you made me a promise and I need you to keep it," she moaned in pain, her fingernails clawing down on where her seal mark was. "She's going to break loose the moment the sun rises over that horizon! If that happens Konoha will be destroyed..." Her eyes pleaded desperately to him, "Kakashi you have to kill me, now!"

He froze, watching her. Her face begged to him, more desperate and frightened than he had ever seen her. He didn't know what was happening, but he had made a promise to her he would kill her if she asked, for the sake of the village. He drew a kunai out of his pouch, regripping it tightly into his grasp. Syna smiled slightly, tilting her head back to expose her neck for an wasy swift shot. Kakashi aimed the kunai for a dead accurate and certainly fatal shot.

Something stopped him though. It was no chakra, nothing gripping onto his arms and pulling the kunai from his fingertips. It was a sharp jolt in his chest, nothing harmful in any way, but something effective as his chest tightened. The kunai slipped from his fingertips. "I can't Syna."

Her eyes met his. They were full of both confusion as well as terrible sadness. "I'm so sorry Kakashi. Forgive me."

The sun suddenly appeared over the horizon, the very first golden rays of the morning touching onto their skin.

Her seal suddenly burned more fiercely than ever before, and Syna screamed as it felt like her skin would literally tear away from her body. The mark burned from her skin, a fiery copy raising into the air above them, a burning outline against the pastel colours of the morning sky, and Syna used all the brute force she could to force herself back into a standing position. Pulling a kunai from her pouch, she threw it towards the floating symbol, but it passed harmlessly through. "No!"

The air itself seemed to split wide open as the seal mark burst in the golden rays of the morning, opening onto a dark abyss. Air began to rush about them, sweeping across the skies and converging together against the firey scorch mark. A deep low voice rumbled out from within it, "Your too late, Syna. This world is now at my mercy again."

Something slipped slowly out from within the abyss, a silver colour like liquid mercury before it formed into a shape within the sky. The winds swept across, plucking at the silvery sheen of the fur bristling as the shape grew larger and larger. The demon was slowly reaching her full height, raising her head back and letting loose a roar that the entire village could hear, quaking in fear.

Kakashi stared between the horrified looking Syna and the demon who clenched it's jaws tightly together as she dragged herself slowly from the abyss. He moved to her side, "Your sealed?"

She faced him, face a mask of pain, "Yes." She looked back at the demon, "She was the Silver Shadows last experiment, one that used me as the carrier. But the binding failed, and instead of becoming the vessel I became more of a gate for her to enter this world." She grit her teeth, "But I lost too much chakra fighting the Silver Shadows, and without restoring it in time I didn't heave enough strength to stop her breaking through the seal."

"How do we stop her?"

Syna faced him, "She's hasn't passed completley through into this world, and so in between she's vulnerable. If we can break the gate then it will drag her back into the other world again." Her gaze hardened, "That means killing me."

Kakashi shook his head, "Syna there has to be another way!"

Syna half smiled. It was heart warming to know someone cared about her enough to look for a second option rather than kill her. "There is one. That would completley kill her, and never allow her to return in any way. Re-seal her and then destroy the seal."

"How?"

The demon roared again, the winds tossing their hair around like deadly whip ends. Now that the demon was no longer trapped with only Syna as a method of entering the world, she was able to grip to his arm, "Kakashi, I need your help!"

He nodded, and she yanked his arm in the direction of the training grounds. Her strength was still frail, and with one of her arms draped over his shoulder they both made it to the training grounds. She looked up at him, "We need to recreate the seal on these grounds, then lure her in. I'll perform the jutsu and it will be able to pull her back through the gate. If I do it correctly, this time she won't be able to break free, and then I can destroy her."

"What do you need me to do?"

"I need you to do two things if you can. Get every to distract the demon. Her chakra is weakened until she's fully entered through the gate. Anything you can do to keep her distracted, but don't use jutsu's because she'll absorb it and the chakra will only make her stronger faster. Second, when it's ready, I need you to help me perform the jutsu."

He nodded again. Pulling up his headband to expose his sharingan, he pressed his hands together to form half a dozen clones of himself. Sending the clones off into the forest, they headed directly for the village, where the silvery formation of the wolf was growing larger with every passing moment. The abyss in the sky was gone, but the destruction on the ground was far more attention grabbing. The winds were sweeping across the ground, the large tail batting at the ground below. Everything the tail touched was slowly being absorbed of everything, crumbling into ash. Jounin were already evacuating people out, using jutsu's against the giant beast with little avail.

Kakashi's clones appeared, crying, "Keep her busy! Don't let her touch you, and attack with weapons, she can absorb your chakra!"

They heard him and understood, switching tactics and instead drawing out a variety of weapons. Most were ones with explosives attached to the end. They tossed them towards the forming monster, which was growing thicker and more bodied with each passing second. The weapons now sank into skin, and as they exploded the demon let out a piercing screech, tail lashing out fiercely.

The real Kakashi was with Syna, using every means they could to draw the same symbol that had been etched into her chest in large scale upon the ground. While Syna drew it out using a stick, Kakashi set up the means of firey explosives around the outside of the seal, as she had instructed him to. There were two sets. One was just to light a large fire to border the perimeter of the seal, and the second was explosions which required his chakra to set off. once Syna had performed the jutsu and left the seal then he just needed to destroy it and the demon would easily be killed. It was taking time though, and from all his clones Kakashi knew they didn't have much more time. The demon was growing more full bodied with every moment.

"The explosives are set up Syna!" Kakashi yelled to her, before flickering next to her. She was finishing joining the lines of the seal mark in the ground.

"Good, we need to lure her in quickly. Kakashi," she looked up at him, "I need to lure her in. I'll be in the midst of the seal, and when the demon is in place then set alite the perimeter. Once she's trapped within, then she won't be able to escape while I perform the jutsu." Then despite everything, she grinned. "Sorry Kakashi, but you guys are going to need a nice new training ground after we're finished."

He couldn't help but give a little chuckle back, before they got to their feet. They leapt into the trees, and Syna told him, "Bring her back."

He nodded and focused on his clones.

The clones were still attacking the demon as she started to hack into the village. More and more of the city was being absorbed like he had seen Syna do to that clearing those weeks ago, only this time it was far worse. They were clearing out every person they could, making sure no-one got in the way as the chakra stretched out through streets and over buildings. A large part of the village was already beginning to collapse on itself, disappearing into dust.

Kakashi's clone yelled out loudly, "It's Syna! She's controlling the demon! If we kill her, we can kill the demon!"

The demon fell for the bait. Both her and Kakashi were well aware that if Syna was killed before she was completley through into this world then she would die too. Locating Kakashi, he made her follow him after his clone, luring the demon into the centre of the forest where the training ground lay.

"I will kill you! I will grind your bones into the dust!" The demon roared at him, making attempts to try grab onto him. She suceeded in catching five of his clones, leaving only a single one left, so he had to make it count.

Each step the demon took turned the forest more desolate and into a wasteland, as chakra flowed from the ground into the silvery paws. Snapping jaws down at Kakashi's clone, he leapt up in the air in order to toss a kunai directly between the beasts eyes. The weapon exploded, and the demon screeched as it was momentarily blinded, lunging for the Kakashi clone.

The real Kakashi and Syna were in safety watching as the demon leapt right into the centre of the drawn seal, still partially blinded and unable to see it. "Go Syna!" Kakashi used his arm to help launch her forward towards the centre of the seal. As she landed smoothly, Kakashi lit up the fire, instantly igniting a flame wall that the demon smashed itself against once realising the trap she had walked into.

"I told you... you will not touch Konoha! You won't take anyone else like you took my brother from me, demon!" Syna shouted, pressing her hands together. Peforming a hand jutsu, the fire from the perimeter of the seal spread, tracing along the lines drawn into the ground as if alive and following it's own path. Standing between two lines of the flame, Kakashi watched as the red-orange lit up Syna's dark determined face as she drew her hands up. The demon roared, lunging again and again at the fire barrier that was encasing them both. Each attempt was futile, only causing the demon to panic and throw herself around more, nearly catching Syna herself.

Syna performed the last of her hand signs, and screaming into the air, "Life Stream Sealing Jutsu!" she thrust her hand down onto the ground. The flames instantly grew like bars of a cage, pulling upwards into the sky above. The clouds circled around each other, a mixture of light grey swirling around the firey colour that lit up the morning sky in the vibrant colours of a sunset. Roaring, the demon thudded her feet on the ground as it shook beneath them.

Leaping out of the fire, Syna shouted, "Now Kakashi, finish it!"

Kakashi pressed his hands together, and at the same time the explosives around the outside of the fire barriers exploded in giant masses up flame and upturned earth. The ground shook violently, nearly throwing both him and syna from their feet. The ground inside the barrier began to crumble, cracking like eggshells beneath the demons feet as a giant gust began to spiral upwards in a dangerous flurry of earth, fire and wind. The flames were sucked away, pulled upwards into the growing blackness of an abyss forming right above their heads in the sky. The demon tried to claw her way from the seal, but the dark blackness dragged her in, pulling her into the sky and into the deep never ending murkiness. The wind swept in after the demon, pulling loose tree leaves and branches in.

"Syna, how do we close it?" Kakashi asked her as she took a step to stand next to him. The wind whipped his hair and clothes, threatening to drag him off his own feet if it grew any stronger.

"Kakashi..." she said. Her voice wasn't yelling, but he still heard her clearly.

He looked at her, expecting her to have a determined look on her face as she told him what the needed to do next. He didn't expect a face that was relaxed, a calm bright smile gracing her lips.

"I couldn't have done any of this without you. I owe you so much."

He was about to ask what she was doing when she put her arm over one of his shoulders, pulling his head in ever so slightly so she could press her lips against his beneath his mask. It caught him completley off guard, both his eyes widening as she pulled her head back again. She smiled again, eyes shining, "Thankyou Kakashi..."

Before he could do anything she jumped backwards, standing upon the edge of the whirlwind as it pulled everything upwards into the abyss. If it grew any stronger it could begin to tear apart the forest, but at this moment Kakashi was only paying attention to Syna.

She turned to face him again. Her smile never leaving her lips, she reached into her weapons pouch and drew out a single kunai, raising it above her with one hand. "This is how it has to be." Kakashi realised instantly what she was doing, screaming her name as he ran to her, but too late to do anything about it. The kunai came down directly in the centre of her seal mark, sinking all the way until nothing but the handel showed any longer. She then pulled it back out again, dropping it as her hand went limp, scarlet dripped from her fingertips. She then raised both arms out wide, leaning back. Kakashi made a reach for her, but not in time to stop the winds from snatching her away.

There came the crackle of lightning from inside the abyss, and the winds momentarily contracted before bursting out and knocking Kakashi from his feet. He landed awkwardly on his side, back on his feet again in a moment. The winds were sucked up into the abyss, the earth settling back down on the ground in messed clumps and throwing up a blanket of dust. Kakashi had to throw his arm up momentarily to stop the dust blinding him. High above, the abyss finally managed to draw in on itself, closing with an explosion of colourful chakra that lit up the sky in vibrant colours of every sort.

A quiet fell over the village of Konoha. For a moment nothing moved. Nothing blinked. Nothing even breathed. They watched as the colour in the sky was overcome by the growing golden rays of a sun rising over the horizon.

Kakashi waited for the dust to settle, seeing nothing but disorderly chaos over what had once been a smooth clearing. Then within the very centre of the crumbled mess, he saw a single body sprawled upon the ground.

"Syna!" He was at her side almost instantly, crouching down beside her and dragging her up into his arms. "Syna....."

She was still alive, amazingly, though just barely. Her breath was shallow, and pressing his head down to her chest he could faintly hear single heartbeats, growing slower with each beat. She hissed in pain slightly, showing she was still awake, if just. "Wake up Syna, wake up!" Kakashi said loudly, hands tightening their grip.

Her eyes flickered, and she looked up at Kakashi weakly. "Hey blue bell."

He gave a slight chuckle, "Syna, what the hell were you doing?!"

"I was just a gate Kakashi. Unlike Naruto whose demon is trapped forever by him, she could always break through and roam the world again for the ages. Now all the seals have been destroyed, so is she." Syna gave a gasp of pain, pressing her palm against the bleeding wound.

Kakashi told her, "Hold on. We'll find Lady Tsunade and get that healed."

Syna laughed, "Kakashi.... We both know I'm not going to last that long."

"Don't say that."

She rolled her eyes, "Stubborn blue bell." Raising her hand, she weakly pressed it against his cheek, smiling. "It's okay Kakashi, it's okay.... I've been trapped by the mistake of ever accepting to be bound with the demon for so many years... now I'm finally free of her. That freedom Kakashi... it's beyond words to describe." She sighed peacefully, "I'm happy to die like this."

Kakashi took the hand on his cheek within his, "Syna just hold on a little longer. I'm not going to let you die. Please..." the last word was more of a desperate plea.

Her eyes were already dimming though. "There's nothing you can do more for me Kakashi. You've done so much for me already." She paused, tilting her head just a little to the side, "But might I ask for one more favour?"

He tilted his head to the side in question, before she pulled at his mask on his face just a little. He understood, and pulled it completley down for her. She pressed her hand against his bare cheek. "You know, I was certain you wore that mask because there was something you wanted to hide. Then again, I remember I've been wrong about people before," she grinned.

Her hand then slipped from his cheek, falling back onto her blood soaked chest as her eyes continued to dim and breathing grew even shallower. Kakashi couldn't remember when he last cried, if he had ever cried, but the tightening of his chest was almost so unbearable that he himself could hardly breath.

"Please Syna, hold on," he whispered. Taking her hand in his, he pressed his lips down to her cold dying ones, without the mask between them.

Both of them felt a sudden jolt pass through them as they broke apart. Kakashi felt his strength all of a sudden rush from his limbs, chakra flowing directly out of him. Both him and Syna gave cries of pain and surprise, before their eyes closed. Kakashi collapsed beside Syna, her head still resting on his arm and hand still in his.

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**Now let's all cross our fingers and hope next time it doesn't take so long for me to update... unless no one is liking it LOL.... then it's okay! ^^**


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